


The Rocky Road Back To You

by MainlyRetro



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Based on the TV show Gilmore Girls, Blow Jobs, Bottom Jared, Break Up, Cheating, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Gay Sex, Hurt Jared, Hurt Jensen, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Jensen, Jensen Being an Asshole, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Parent Jared, Parent Jensen, Pining, Post Mpreg, Post Pregnant Jared, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Top Jensen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-02-13 06:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 62,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12978390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MainlyRetro/pseuds/MainlyRetro
Summary: It was seventeen years ago that a twenty-year-old Jensen knocked up a naive eighteen-year-old Jared on a dinner party at his parent's house. But the fear of raising a child together had pulled them away. Jared is happy with his life, he is juggling being a father to a seventeen-year-old boy and managing a sweet little Inn just outside the sleepy town of Camden, Maine.Jared is sure his feeling for Jensen is only that of a fellow parent looking out for their child but as Jensen announces he has found his Happy Ending perhaps Jared had not moved on quite as well as he had once believed, and perhaps it is time for himself to find his own Happy Ending as well. But that might be a more rocky road than Jared had first anticipated.Inspired and based on the TV show Gilmore Girls but the story will not follow the TV show's storyline and I have changed it to fit my "vision"You don't need to have seen the show for the story to make sense





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm from Sweden so if you find any mistakes, I'm so sorry and I appreciate if you notify me so I can change it  
> But I hope you liked it! Thank you for reading!

" Dad!? Can you hurry up I don't wanna be late for school. Again!" the yelling echoed through the house and Jared looked up from where he was laying on the floor trying to find his other shoe that he was sure his son had hidden yesterday as a punishment because Jared would not let him decide what they would have for dinner. Jamie was evil like that.

" If you hadn't hidden my shoe we would've been halfway there already" he yelled back and in response, all he got was a snort from his son already standing by the front door, ready to head out. Jared was reaching blindly with his hand in under his bed feeling the soft dust cling to his jacket and the palm of his hand.

" Daaaaaad?" the voice sounded rather insistent and then there was stomping up the stairs until his son stood in the doorway looking down at Jared with a questioning stare. " What are you doing on the floor looking like a murder?" Jamie asked. Jared turned enough from having his cheek pressed against the floorboard to look at his son.

" Aha! So my ungrateful son came up here to help his poor dad find his missing shoe?" Jared asked and caught Jamie grinning down at him before Jared shook his head and returned to his search for the missing shoe. Kids these days, he thought bitterly. Suddenly he could feel hands wrap around his ankles and then being pulled out from under the bed by rather strong arms.

Jared looked up and blinked the dust out of his eyes to stare up at the still grinning Jamie. " Wow!" he breathed out, his lungs clogged up with dust just like the rest of him. He really needed to clean under there. Perhaps he could bribe Jamie into doing it.

Well, that was just wishful thinking.

" Who knew I was sharing a house with the famous Hulk Hogan," Jared said with amusement filling his voice as he fanned his face with his hand in mock flirting. Jamie rolled his eyes before he stepped over his father still laying on the floor and dropped his school bag on him in the process. A loud huff could be heard as the heavy books hit Jared in the chest.

" How can you treat your father like this!? Believe me when I say you won't get any breakfast for the coming.... hmm" he tapped his cheek in a stereotypical matter. " Let's say eight weeks" Jared looked smug as he watched from his spot on the floor with a giant school bag still on his chest but his son just shrugged his shoulders as he turned halfway around to glance at his father.

" You really think you'll be able to hold onto that punishment? That'll work for an even shorter time than when you forbid me from watching Disney Channel for an entire week when I was six" his son looked pointedly at him and Jared had to shrug. His son knew him too well.

" Well, that was an entirely different matter" Jared answered under a grumble as he watched Jamie reach up on top of the closet and pulled down the missing shoe. He turned around and raised his eyebrows before he threw the shoe to Jared who had gotten up in a sitting position.

" Oh really?" his son crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at Jared. " How so?" he asked. Jared took the shoe and rose to his feet before sitting down on the neatly made bed that Jared would be lying if he said he had done. Without his son, Jared was sure the house would not have been in the same condition as it was.

" Well..." Jared started as he pulled on his shoe before he got to his feet and picked up the backpack laying helpless on the floor and threw it back to his son who caught it easily.

The same reflexes as his father.

Jared's mouth opened and closed a few times before he pretended to look at the watch he didn't have on his arm. " Oh! Would you look at that, you're gonna be late. Hurry up now! Jared turned around and ran down the stairs with his son right behind him.

" You don't wanna answer because we both know you loved Kim Possible even more than I did and you still do!" Jamie yelled after his father as the two of them made it out to the Jeep parked in the driveway outside their classic suburban house in the small town of Camden.

Jared glared at his son as they both got in the Jeep. He would never admit to his son that the reason why Jamie's punishment had been withdrawn was so Jared could continue watching Kim Possible.  If Jamie ever found out about that he would never let Jared forget it.

" You don't know what you are talking about, child. Perhaps you should stay at home from school, you seem delusional" Jared said but the only answer he got from Jamie was a bark of laughter and his son's finger in his face pointing at him.

" I knew it!" he laughed but Jared decided the best way was to ignore his immature son as he continued to tease Jared as Jared started the car and left their driveway. The teasing got to the point where Jared couldn't keep on ignoring it.

" Who raised you?" he asked and turned to stare at his son seated in the passenger seat. "Cus' it sure as hell couldn't have been me. You have no respect for the elderly people, young child" he tsked Jamie and tried to sound like that of his own father scolding him when he was a young child himself but it only made his son laugh. Again.

" Now, why are you laughing at me?" Jared whined and even to his own ears he sounds like one of the teenage girls in Jamie's class.

Jamie patted him on the shoulder as the jeep stopped in front of the school building, the small dimples cut into his rosy cheeks and even though Jared is very much sure his son was the devil in disguise he couldn't help but love that little thing.

" That whole, sophisticated dad that goes to the golf course three times a week and drinks expensive scotch as he sits in a leather chair reading some pretentious book and complains about the young people to one of his ten housekeepers, doesn't suit you. Just so you know" his son said and Jared had to smile at that as he watched his son open the car door and slip out but before the door closed behind him Jared yelled back; " I think it fits me perfectly, otherwise I can just take you home to grandpa and let's see what he has to say about your behaviour young man!"

Jamie just turned around and waved at Jared before slipping into the building disappearing from Jared's view. Jared shook his head before he headed to his own work.

The radio played a soft tune that Jared hummed along to even though he doesn't know the name of the song. It's just something he does and something that Jamie has taken after. On long road trips together the two of them can spend half the time just singing together and not even exchanging a single word unless it's for the singing.

He could hear his cell phone start up it's rather annoying ringtone that made Jared tense and grimaces everytime he heared it, which was the exact reason why Jamie changed it for him. The little devil knew how Jared was with technology, he had been enough times at the Inn to know that everytime Jared even tried to fix something on the computer unless it was the easiest of things it more often than not ended up with Jared having to call for the repair guy Mike who always came to fix it and at that point was at the Inn almost as often as Jared, and Jared runs it.

He reached into his pocket and fished out the noisy little manic, it was a number he didn't recognize but the possibility of it being someone from the Inn was too big to ignore the call.

He answered and pressed the phone to his ear as he steered the car into the Inn's parking lots that were supposed to be for staff only but  no one seemed to listen to the sign and Jared is too kind to say no although  - the receptionist - Genevieve has made it clear that the parking lot is off limit.

" Hello Jared Padalecki speaking" he answered pulling his bag with him as he got out of the car and into the windy fall weather wrapped around the small town.

" _Hi_ " he heard on the other end, it was soft and with the hints of awkwardness that usually slipped around that honey dripping voice, Jared knew by heart.

" Jensen. How you've been?" Jared asked as he walked across the parking lot waving towards a couple of guest out taking their morning walk in the windy but sunny weather.

" _I've been good. A little stressed about work but it's all cleared up for now_ " Jensen answered and Jared nodded his head even though he knew Jensen couldn't see him.

" Good. I'm glad you've been good" Jared opened the back door and walked inside the small Inn. " So was there a reason you're calling me? If  it's because you can't get a hold on Jamie I won't be sorry for that, he hid my shoe yesterday so I hid his phone and he won't be getting it back until this weekend" Jared could hear Jensen smile in the phone and although the two of them had nothing with each other to do unless it was related to their son, Jared couldn't help but feel the small butterflies make flips in his belly at the soft huff of Jensen smiling to himself.

" _Well that wasn't the reason I called actually but thanks for keeping our son in check_ " Jared chuckled as he walked down the hallway towards his office.

" It's a helluva job.... I should get a statue made in honor of my work but I guess your gratitude will have to do. For now"

" _I'll be sure to remember that. But back to the reason why I'm actually calling you. Is there any possibility for me to come pick Jamie up on maybe Thursday night instead of Friday this weekend?_ " the question startled Jared and he stopped midstep on his way to the office.

Jensen had always been a wonderful dad, but he was a busy man as well.  Ackles Corporation couldn't run itself he would often say so if Jared was surprised that Jensen would ask to spend more time with Jamie than what was agreed upon it was the only non-surprising thing.

" What?" it wasn't supposed to come out like that. He sounded like an accusing jerk which was the last thing he wanted to sound like. He had tried many times in the early years to get both Jamie and Jensen to spend some more quality time together but as long as Jensen was busy with his work Jamie had no interest in visiting his father, he would not go to New York just to spend his time sitting alone in his father's big penthouse while his father worked until midnight only to come home and go to bed immediately.

" _I know he has Friday off so I thought perhaps he could spend a long weekend with me instead if that's not a problem?_ " Jensen said and Jared shook his head to rid himself of old memories filling up his brain.

" No I was just surprised about this and if you don't mind me asking, why are you picking him on Thursday already?" Jared asked, trying not sound too aggravated.

The silence that met him made Jared frown. Obviously, it was something that Jensen would rather not tell Jared, but then again Jamie was Jared's son too and if he were going to cut school to hang out with his dad then Jared needed to know the reason, whether Jensen would feel comfortable telling it or not.

" _I've met someone. Her name is Danneel and we've been seeing each other for a couple of months now and we have talked it through and she was finally ready to meet Jamie so I thought perhaps Jamie would like to spend a long weekend with me and Danneel to get to know her some more since I'm sure he'll be seeing a lot more of Danneel_ "

Jared's mouth felt dry and he didn't even know why. It wasn't the first time that Jensen had dated, it wasn't even the first time that Jared himself had dated since the two of them had split up, but they had decided that they would keep Jamie out of their dating lives until they were sure it was something serious. During all those years there had not been a single time that Jamie had told Jared that he was going to meet his dad's new girlfriend or boyfriend.

Even though Jared was sure that he and Jensen had nothing left concerning their relationship it had always been a comfort to Jared that Jensen had never found anything serious since he and Jared had broken up, why it was comforting was something Jared had never dared to look into. It was simply too dangerous. Like stepping into lava, you just didn't do it.

" That's great Jensen!" Jared said as unlocked the door to his office and walked inside but then another thought slipped into his mind. " I'm just not so sure on how Jamie will take this." Jared tried not sound like he was holding Jensen from seeing his son, he was just afraid that Jamie would get hurt by this new information about his father.

"It's great and all that you've finally found someone you're serious about but how do you think Jamie will feel when you show up with a stranger telling him this is your girlfriend that you're going to spend the weekend together?" Jamie got to see his dad so rarely as it was and now another person was about to invade on the special time Jamie got to spend with his father.

" _What do you mean?_ " Jensen asked slowly and Jared could hear the warning in his tone that told Jared to not do anything stupid and it made Jared bite his bottom lip. Although Jensen believed Jared to apparently still have the mind of teenager Jared was just trying to protect his son from being hurt.

" What I mean is," Jared pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the small hook just by the door that was already full of pointless things that Jared had hung up since he had no other place to put it.

" Jamie has not seen you for almost a month since you've had that business deal that took up all your spare time and he is really excited about seeing you again. I...." Jared paused and swallowed hard before he continued; " I'm just worried he's gonna think you rather spend time with your new girlfriend and that your time together is more important to him than it is to you. I don't wanna see him hurt" Jared finished and bit his lip again while he waited for Jensen to answer him. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence filling the phone and Jared started to wonder if perhaps Jensen had hung up on him.

" _You really think I would be that insensitive to our son on purpose?_ " whatever awkwardness that had lingered in Jensen's voice was replaced by a carefully reined in anger that Jared was sure was directed at him.

" No, I would never think you would ever be mean to him on purpose! I'm just worried how Jamie will look at this, you have to see this from his point of view too Jensen" Jared tried to stay calm as he paced his office and pulled a hand through his shaggy hair.

Of course Jensen was a good father, there had never been a doubt in Jared's mind about that fact it was just that Jamie was his child and  during their years together after the break up with Jensen when Jamie had just been little over a year, his son had always expressed insecurities about his father living in New York and every time he was about to leave to go to New York he would be a nervous wreckage just pacing around the house like a caged animal. That made Jared time and time again want to soothe his son's worries and tell him there was nothing to worry about when he would get to his father but with Jensen, Jared could never be certain. That was one of the reasons the two of them had had an expiration date

" _Is this Jamie talking or you because at the moment I'm having trouble seeing the difference, and to me it kinda sounds like you're trying to keep me from seeing_ my _son_!" there was ice in Jensen's voice making Jensen swallows hard again, it was on rare occasions that Jensen would ever get upset, sure he could snap when he was too stressed out to even think but this was not him stressed, Jensen was definitely angry at him.

" This is me talking about _our_ son, who is out of his mind with worry whenever he is supposed to leave for New York because he always believes there will be something more important than him. I'm the one that always comforts him and tells him that you still love him no matter the circumstances. Do not tell me I'm trying to keep you away from our son, I'm _just_ trying to make you understand that you need to think before you take actions because this is our son, a child we're talking about" Jared could feel his heart beating in his chest, it was a long time ago that Jared had ever raised his voice against Jensen, or anyone really and even though he felt slightly out of his familiar zone as the happy owner of the sweet Wildflower Inn but he was not regretting what he had said. This was something Jensen needed to hear.

Silence filled the line again and Jared squeezed his eyes shut and sighed, he could almost feel the determination in Jensen through the phone line and he knew this was something Jensen would not take his words for.

Jared pinched his nose bridge and pulled his lips together into a thin line before he opened them again. " Look." Jared licked his lips before he continued. " Jamie will be home by 4 this afternoon. You can call him on the house phone and ask him about going to New York a day earlier yourself because I feel like this argument will lead nowhere at this point" Jared finally said and sank down into the comfy office chair behind his desk.

" _Yeah, I'll call him later then_ " Jensen grunted out a goodbye before the line went dead and he was gone. Jared dropped the phone on his desk before he leaned back in his chair, his eyes staring off into the landscape behind the Inn. He hated fighting. And most of all he hated fighting with Jensen, it always brought on things that had since long been buried and it was always exhausting, still, he knew that he needed to say it for the sake of his son.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so grateful for the wonderful comments I got in the previous chapter. It really warmed my heart to read them and it's comment like those that make me wanna continue this story and actually finish it so thank you so much for that. And second, I've changed the names of the Ackles and Padalecki family members just so you are aware, don't know why I needed to say it but now I've done it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think!

Jared didn't know for how long he sat there staring but suddenly there was knock on his door that brought him out of his deep thoughts. He coughed lightly and blinked away the dryness from his eyes and turned his head towards the door just as it opened and Genevieve stuck her head inside.

" You okay there?" she asked, her eyes narrowed. Jared tried to smile and nodded as he stood from his chair straightening out his shirt at the same time.

" Yeah, just got off a pretty rough phone call that's all" he answered but Jared could see the way Genevieve was tinkering away inside trying to figure out if there was more to the story or not.

" Right"she huffed as she walked into the office with a yellow folder under her arm. Genevieve was Jared's all-around assistant and  whenever Jared was too busy she kept the Inn to its perfect standard and everyday Jared went to work he was still amazed that she still worked here, with her knowledge and mind she could probably run her own company and earn a lot more money than she did at the Wildflower Inn.

" These need to be looked through and signed" she dropped the folder on his desk making it slam down and an old  coffee mug was about to fall down at the force. "and the Wembly's couple would like to book a meeting about their wedding in late August and I told them perhaps we could get a time this week since you don't have too much to do so that's happening on Thursday morning at eleven so be here on time." she pointed her finger at him like he was a small child to emphasize the last meaning.at him in a warning like he was a small child, which it wouldn't be a surprise if Genevieve actually viewed him as a child. Jared may be her boss but that was never a reason for Genevieve to think of him as an adult. 

"And also, there is a Mrs. Padalecki here to see you, she is waiting in the lobby and I would very much like her removed, as soon as possible" she clapped her hands together and almost made Jared jump in his seat, that was one fascinating woman he thought as Genevieve stormed out from his office. He shook his head before he got up from his seat to go find his mother and save Genevieve from the snobby Cheryl Padalecki that was his mother.

He walked out to the lobby and found his mother seated on the couch with her very expensive purse clutched in her lap as if some guest would jump her out of nowhere and try to steal it.

" Jared" he heard her call as soon as her hawk-eyes fell on him. She rose from her seat and moved over to where he was standing. Jared looked over his mother's head and met the dark look of Genevieve who only gave him a nod in thank you before she turned to guests currently standing by the reception.

" Hi mom" Jared hugged her lean body and he could feel the expensive perfume enter his nostrils, bringing him back to when he was still a child living with his parents at their house Falmouth just over an hour away from Camden.

" What are you doing here?" he asked as he pulled away to look at his mother. Jared had always been told that he and his mother was very alike. They had the same facial structure and the same clear hazel eyes and although when Jared had been younger and hated the fact that he shared similarities with his _ mother _ he himself couldn't deny it either. 

" Well your father's at the golf course and my tea party with the ladies got canceled, did you know that Velma is leaving Christopher to go marry the gardener Javier" Cheryl flailed her arms in what Jared was pretty sure was excitement. " Scandal of the year if you ask me!" the edges of her lips pulled up into a Cheshire grin, a grin Jared had seen many times before whenever something happened to the ladies living in Falmouth

" That's unfortunate for Christopher but I'm glad you're enjoying it as much as you do mom, that seems really sensitive of you" Jared placed a hand over his heart and smiled as his mother's smirked turned into a thin line of disapproval. Cheryl raised her hand and smacked him on the upper arm.

" Jared! That's very rude of you!" she lectured him but Jared just smiled cheekily at her.

" Well, you were the one that only came out to see your only son because your other plans got canceled. I think I get a pass on that one" Cheryl stared at him for a long moment before she turned her back on him and let her eyes travel over a full lobby.

" Is there perhaps a café around? I would love to sit down and have a nice cup of tea" the very  _ subtle _ change of conversation made Jared chuckle, his mother never was one for confrontations.

" Yeah, in town there's a café which serves the best croissants in the country but I don't know about their tea since I have never drunken tea again since that day you forced me to at your book club" Jared shuddered at the memory, he was fifteen and his mother had forced him to join in on the book club because she believed Jared to be spending too much time with his father in the corporate industry and therefore needed to express his leaner side at a bookclub with a bunch of middleaged women talking about things that Jared was far too young to know.

" The ladies still want you to come back and join us sometime," Cheryl said and turned around to look at her son again with a sweet smile. Jared was about to protest but his mother cut him off before he even got the words out of his mouth. 

" You can come up with some excuse later but now we must be moving if we want to get to that café you're talking about in a decent time so come on now and grab your jacket so we can leave" his mother dismissed him and was well on her way to the entry door before Jared caught up with her.

" What? I thought you said _ you _ were looking for a café to have a cup of tea, I'm working mom. I can't just leave the Inn like that" Cheryl didn't seem to be listening and just sighed deeply before stroking a piece of brown hair from her face.

" I'm sure you can leave this motel for an hour or so, that awful lady in the reception can probably keep this place running in your absence" Cheryl gestured at Genevieve who looked up from her computer to glare at Cheryl with black narrowed eyes and locked jaw. Cheryl and Genevieve had never gotten along, for as long as Jared had owned the Inn. They never talked to each other but the sneered comments behind their backs just loud enough for the other part to hear was basically what their relationship contained of.

" First of all it's not a motel, it's an Inn, big difference!" Jared could see his mother rolling her eyes at him. " And second of all, Genevieve,  _ not the awful lady _ has other things to do, I can't expect her to just take over the entire Inn while I go have tea with my mother" Jared explained, he really didn't want it to sound like he didn't want to go have a chat with his mother over tea but in fact, the call from Jensen had made him lose all his energy and he just wanted to take a quiet and easy day at work before he would have to go home and talk to his son about his father's request. 

" If you take that woman away from the Inn I'll manage it for the next three years if I have to" Genevieve's voice was as cold as ice and but Cheryl didn't seem to pick up on it, or she did but decided to ignore it.

" See Jared, there is nothing to worry about, now let's go" his mother took on her demanding tone making Genevieve snort from her place behind the reception.

" That woman has you on a tight leash” she smirked at Jared and raised a perfect eyebrow at him. Jared made a face at her words before he just sighed and nodded his head at his mother. He could hear Genevieve's soft snicker from behind him.

" I just need to go grab my jacket then we can leave," he said and with his mother, in tow, he made his way back to his office to grab both his phone and his jacket.

" You should really have someone come and renovate this place," Cheryl said as she raked her eyes over Jared's office while Jared was busy putting his jacket on.

" Why would I do that, it's cozy in here" he answered and his mother just frowned at his response. Of course in Cheryl Padalecki's eyes, this place probably looked like trash but Jared liked it, he and Jamie had together decorated the place when the last owner, an old lady named Marjorie Davis had passed it on to him when she was moving to France with her husband Alan. The whole office held dear memories to Jared and that was more important than if it looked fancy enough to please one snobby Cheryl Padalecki.

They made it out to the parking lot and with a lot of protest Jared finally got his mother to agree to take his truck to town instead of calling a cab or worse yet, their personal chauffeur. 

When they walked into the café Jared could see Cheryl's face lit up,  the small café was owned by a couple from Switzerland who had moved to Camden not long after Jared had, they were a very nice couple and Jared and Jamie could spend hours inside the café talking to them in the late hours when the last guests had left.

The interior of the place had a creamy white and a soft baby blue with hints of gold, it was very Cheryl-type of place that sometimes when Jared analyzed it too much he was afraid he was turning into his mother with their share fashion opinions but Jamie was always there to point out the very obvious differences between his grandmother and father.

" This is the first thing in this godforsaken town that I actually approve off" Cheryl sounded almost surprised as she walked around in the small café with Jared trailing behind her with a petulant childish pout on his lips.

" Hey! This town has a lot to offer" he defended but his mother just glanced at him with a  _ cut the crap  _ look before she turned away to focus on the menu instead. " Could be because you don't eat anything that tastes good, then, of course, you won't like this town" Jared grumbled but his words of wisdom fell on deaf ears as his mother was already at the counter ordering for the two of them.

" Go find a seat Jared" his mother dismissed him before she turned towards the clerk again, her name was Delphine and she was the part owner of the café together with her husband Cedric. Delphine smiled and waved at Jared who waved back before turning around to find a place to sit suitable for the queen of Falmouth, Maine.

He made his way around the small islands of tables scattered in the café and sat down at a roundtable just by one of the french windows with a perfect view of the Camden Park.

From the park, there was only a few block to the local high school where Jamie attended, with a quick look at the watch Jared knew Jamie was about to go on his very dreadful science class for 75 minutes. The two of them had spent hours into the nights sometimes trying to figure out Jamie's homework and every time the two of them were just seconds from burning the entire thing up.

Science was one thing neither Jared nor Jamie had even a clue, what it was really about. Jensen had always been good with science, well Jensen was pretty good in everything he set his hard on. It had always enraged and fascinated how one person could fit that much information into his head. 

" Are you daydreaming?" he was suddenly caught off on his train of thoughts to see his mother sitting down in the opposite chair. Jared straightened himself and helped his mother organize everything on the small table.

" Jared? “ she tried when Jared didn't answer right away, Jared glanced at his mother, her eyes cast down at her tea-filled cup, she was slowly stirring it around creating a small tornado.

" Sorry, yeah it's been kind of a hard day" he sighed and leaned back in his chair, although his mother was insistent that Jared should drink tea instead of coffee since it was much healthier she had been kind enough to not buy him tea and instead his cup was filled with hot chocolate and whipped cream.

" Already you've had a hard day? But it's barely started!" she exclaimed and Jared shrugged his shoulders softly. Cheryl scowled him but Jared just avoided her with his eyes. He didn't want to tell her about the fight he'd had with Jensen since Cheryl had never made it a secret how unhappy she was the two of them had broken up all those years ago.

" Come on now" she lifted her cup in her slender fingers and sipped it before making a satisfied face, apparently the tea held enough standard to be acceptable to Cheryl. " are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to  _ drag _ it out of you?" she asked and Jared pretended he didn't  hear her, instead looking up at the roof as if it would start raining any moment.

He could hear Cheryl clear her throat and loudly placing the cup back on the small plate to make a clattering noise to show her displeasure with his behavior.

" Did you know that when a hippo is upset its sweat turns red?"

Cheryl stared at him like he'd lost his mind but Jared just focused on eating the croissant on the baby pink plate. 

" What are you talking about!" she spluttered, confusion coloring her words making Jared smile a little, his mother had always been fun to tease. Every time it happened she acted like it was the end of the world. Jared's father Walter had always told him his mother had a very distinctive sense of humor that only middle-aged women could understand and that made her immune to the jokes that had been thrown around the familyhouse during Jared's young years as a small boy still living for his comic books and toys.

" Well you asked what was wrong and I am actually upset about this fact, how are hippos suppose to know if their friends are hurt or if they are just sweating? that's all I'm saying" Jared shrugged his shoulders again before looking up at his very unhappy mother.

" I don't think that's an issue for the _ hippos _ ," she said, her voice was dead serious and Jared could feel his carefully placed mask slip as a smile threatened breaking out in his face, the teasing with his mother almost made him forget the call he'd gotten earlier.

" You will never grow up will you?" Cheryl asked hopelessly and Jared couldn't even keep himself from smiling any longer and burst out laughing,  dimples cutting into his cheeks and eyes crinkling in the corners.

" I guess not" she sighed and shook her head. The rest of their little quality time ran by with his mother gossiping about every person she knew, including her own husband it only amused Jared thinking about how frustrated his father would get when he found out what his wife was telling their son. 

They left the café after Cheryl had profusely thanked Cedric and Delphine for their beautiful service and their _ wonderful _ little café, the couple had, of course, appreciated the praises even though they still had a hard time understanding the longer words in english , and especially with his mother's speed in moving her mouth.

Jared finally managed to drag his mother outside and the two of them made their way to the truck parked a block away in silence but when they reached the truck his mother stopped.

" I'm going to call Didrick and ask him to pick me up, there is no need for me to go all the way out to the country again only for me to go all they back again" Jared rolled his eyes at his mother's expression.

" It's not the country, it's just ten minutes from here" he explained but Cheryl just wrinkled her nose in distaste and brushed of invisible dirt from her red coat.

" Well that doesn't mean it's not the country, dear" she answered and pulled out her phone from her purse already dismissing the conversation. After a quick call to the family chauffeur, Cheryl turned to Jared who had stood silently during the call just leaning against the truck in wait for his mother to end the call.

" Didrick will be here in just a couple of minutes so if you have to abandon me you have my permission" his mother sighed loudly and put on her most heartbroken face which made Jared smile at her, such a drama queen, well now he knew where Jamie had learned that move from.

" Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I left you here all by yourself" he bowed before his mother making her whack his arms fondly and he could see the pride in his mother's eyes. Her own little clap on her own shoulder for good parenting.

" Well that's one thing I did good" she fell silent but then as if she just remember turned to Jared and looked at him with her strict blue eyes. "I do expect you and Jamie for dinner on Friday like usually so don't think good manners will get you out of it," she said strictly making Jared freeze beside her.

He knew his mother knew about the arrangement Jared and Jensen had agreed on, Jamie was supposed to spend every second weekend with Jensen in New York but during the last few weeks Jensen had been busy with work and Jamie had never gone to his father instead staying home with Jared and that had, in turn, forced the two of them to attend every Friday for dinner in Falmouth with  Grandpa and Grandma Padalecki.

" Well Jamie is supposed to go to his father this weekend so it will only be me on Friday" Jared avoided telling his mother about Jamie skipping school on Thursday to spend time with Jensen and his new girlfriend, it wasn't something he wanted to share with his mother. 

Cheryl looked surprised and for a moment she fell silent as she seemed to think the new information over.

" Oh! How nice for Jensen he finally got that deal out of the way. I knew how much he's been working on that" Jared was surprised by how much his mother knew about his ex-boyfriend but then again, Cheryl and Christine Ackles spent a lot of time talking during their weekly tea party about everything that involved their sons and grandson.

" Well that's no problem, you and Jamie can just come on Thursday instead, I would like to see him before he goes to his father for the weekend" his mother didn't even notice how rigid Jared went beside her, well there it was. Now he would have to tell her  _ everything  _ that had happened during the morning, about the call from Jensen, his request for Jamie to skip a day at school, about the fight over the phone. It was something Jared didn't  feel completely sure about telling his mother.

" Here's the thing though..." he started and Cheryl turned her head to look at him, waiting for him to continue. " Jensen called this morning and asked me if there was any possibility that Jamie came up down to New York on Thursday since he has Friday off, because he hasn't seen Jamie in like a month" Jared explained slowly, Cheryl wrinkled her forehead and shifted her weight from one foot to the other but she didn't say anything for a long moment. 

" Was there a reason why Jensen wanted Jamie to come up for a long weekend?" she asked and looked up at Jared with raised eyebrows and her lips pulled into a thin line.

" Yeah, he wanted Jamie to meet his new girlfriend Danneel, it sounded pretty serious to me" Jared explained and Cheryl nodded her head.

" I'm surprised Christine didn't tell me Jensen got himself a woman" Cheryl stared at her son, letting her eyes travel over his face as if looking for something different about him. It was something she'd done since he'd only been a babe, even if she couldn't see through the lie all the time that look would always make you want to confess for whatever you'd done and it was scary as hell.

" Well now you know why Jamie can't come for dinner, but I'll be there on Friday at seven like always" Jared tried to smooth the whole conversation over and instead started searching for anything to say that would make his mother redirect her focus on anything else but this.

And apparently, there was some kind of god up there because just when it looked like his mother was about to say something else a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb and stopped her. 

" Well then I guess I'll see you Friday, but do tell Jamie that'll he needs to come out sometimes because it feels like it's been forever since I've seen him,"  Cheryl said and Jared smiled and nodded 

" Of course. Although it's only been three days since you last saw him" Jared said the las sentence under his breath but his mother still picked up on the words and scowled him.

" Is it a crime for me to want to see my grandson?" she asked and Jared could see the angry wrinkles around her eyes that told him to tread carefully. 

" Of course not, but I gotta get back to the Inn so I'll see you Friday" he quickly kissed her cheeks and waved her off as she got inside the car and disappeared out of town.

Jared sighed loudly and let the tension release from his uptight shoulders before he got inside the truck and made his way back to the Inn.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I would like to wish all you guys a merry Christmas and second I would like to thank you for all the wonderful comments, they make my day! Enjoy chapter 3!

When Jared came home after the exhausting day at work he sank down onto the sofa without taking off his jacket. His legs just didn’t want to cooperate any longer. He closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh as he felt the tension in his shoulders slowly started to ease away.

He could hear the sound of feet against the stair and when he opened his eyes he could see Jamie standing on the last step of the stair staring at him with a small crease in his forehead much like Jensen would get whenever he was worried about something.

“ You okay dad?” Jamie asked and Jared smiled softly and straightened himself on the plush couch trying to not look like he’d just stumbled right inside and dropped on the couch like he actually had. Jamie didn’t look convinced by Jared’s reassuringly smile and narrowed his eyes.

“ I’m fine, it’s been a long day, that’s all” Jared knew his son was smarter than to fall for such a lie but he didn’t want Jamie to know about the fight Jared had had with Jensen earlier, it was bad enough that Jamie was already insecure  about his father, he didn’t need to know Jared was even more worried about Jamie when he was in New York.

“ Yeah” Jamie snorted before he crossed the tidy living room - probably Jamie’s doing when he’d gotten home from school and had been bored - and climbed up into the sofa to sit next to Jared with suspiciousness filling his hazel green eyes. “ That’s what you said when he went ice skating last winter and you fell, you convinced me you were fine and then in the middle of the night the ambulance had to come get you because you had passed out in the living room from the concussion. Sorry if I don’t believe you when you say you’re  _ fine _ ” Jared felt guilty for lying to his son, especially when he expressed his mistrust in him from other times when Jared had believed lying to Jamie had been the best way to protect him.

“ Well you got to ride in an ambulance at least” it had been Jamie’s dream when he’d been five and Jared was attempting to lighten the mood but all Jamie did was scowl him with his eyes. That was something Jamie had picked up from his grandmother and Jared hated it because just like his mother’s look, Jamie’s were just as dangerous.

“ That’s not funny dad” Jamie paused as if he was thinking something through. “although riding the ambulance was actually pretty cool if I have to admit it” Jamie’s scowl lightened and he smiled at his father as Jared raised his eyebrows in a ‘ _ see, what did I say _ ’ before he huffed in triumph.

“ If I had been conscious I would’ve thought it was funny too” Jared grinned when Jamie stared at him with furrowed eyebrows and lips pulled into a displeasing line, he smacked his dad on the upper arm making Jared wince in faux - hurt and grasped his arms as if he had been dying.

“ You baby” Jamie answered amused and a little mocking when he saw Jared’s B - rated performance. He rolled his eyes before he got up from the sofa and padded to the kitchen leaving his poor father to die in peace.

Jared was just about to yell after him what an insensitive child he was when Jamie showed up in the doorway again with the coffeemaker in his hands and gesturing with it toward Jared. 

“ You want a last cup of coffee before you join the afterworld?” Jamie asked fully serious but Jared could see the familiar glimmer of amusement in his son’s eyes.

“  I ask myself once again if perhaps my sweet little Jamie was taken away to the magic forest by the fairies leaving me with this evil… changeling!” he yelled at his son but the only answer he got was an evil sounding laughter and Jamie disappearing back into the kitchen again. Jared smiled fondly at the sound of his son’s happy laughter, he always loved the way he and Jamie could together create their own little bubble where nothing else existed but the two of them.

While Jamie prepared a cup of coffee for the two of them Jared took off his coat and hung it on the rack by the door that Jamie had made in third grade, it was old and the nicks that covered it was basically the only thing holding the coat rack together. It was painted with all colors of the rainbow and with bright red paint J & J were written with the hand of an 8-year-old. Jared loved it even though everytime the two of them were out shopping and ran across a new coat rack Jamie tried to force Jared into buying it because he desperately wanted the old coat rack gone.

He walked into the kitchen and Jamie looked up at him from his place perched on the kitchen counter by the coffeemaker in full working brewing the delicious and lifesaving potion that basically the two of them were made off.

“ So you’re not dead yet?” Jamie asked smirking but Jared just narrowed his eyes before going back to ignoring his son, Jamie snorted out a laugh and jumped down from the counter to go check on the coffee. Jared walked over to one of the cupboards and grabbed a yellow mug with the name Jared on and a green mug with the name Jamie on and place the two mugs on the table for Jamie to pour the coffee into. Neither Jared nor Jamie liked those mugs, they had together agreed that it was tacky to have your name on your mug but the only thing that had kept them from destroying the mugs from the second floor balcony was the fact that it had been Cheryl who had given them the mugs and apparently it had been a very  _ fancy  _ brand of mugs so instead the mugs remained in the far off corner of their cupboard.

When Jamie’s eyes fell on the two mugs he wrinkled his nose before looking up at Jared and almost begging him to put them away. Jared just looked apologetic back at him.

“ I would love to change them but we don’t have any other mugs left so either you go do the dishes, since it’s your dish-day today, or we use these mugs and take care of the dishes tomorrow” Jared explained and with an exasperated sigh Jamie poured the coffee into the ugly mugs and Jared sighed inwardly, it meant he would have to take care of the dished in the morning Dammit.

The two of them sat down at the round table and talked about their days, it was Jared’s favorite time of the day. When it was just the two of them and the heavy smell of coffee filling the yellow kitchen.

It had been a small traditions ever since Jamie had started kindergarten, he had been terrified of leaving his dad and Jared had known that feeling all too well, it had always been the two of them, Jamie had been with Jared to work at the Inn since he had no money to afford a nanny and he most certainly didn’t want to leave Jamie all alone in Falmouth with his grandparents and that was during the time when Jensen had not been a part of the picture, he had been distant and the phonecalls from Jensen had been few and far between. It had saddened Jared that he had no interest in contacting Jamie, their son, and it had almost broken his heart to see the wrinkled forehead of confusion whenever Jared had said that his daddy wanted to talk to him. It had been hard for Jamie to understand it wasn’t Jared who wanted to talk to him but rather his other daddy living in New York City and with the rarity of the phonecalls Jamie often forgot about them after the two weeks.

If it had ever bothered Jensen, Jared had never asked. Jensen was angry enough as it was whenever Jared tried to ask about his parenting.

They finished their coffee before Jamie told Jared he was going upstairs to work on his homework and left the empty mug in the sink together with the ever-growing pile of dirty dishes. When Jared too was finished he tried not to look at the sink with the Mount Everest of dirty dishes and instead just left his mug on the counter before he basically sprinted out from the kitchen. 

After their joined afternoon coffee the house fell quiet, Jamie was seated upstairs with his headphones on and working on his homework and Jared was sitting in his office working on the papers Genevieve had left for him earlier the day. He groaned at the cramps in his right hand from writing and his eyes felt sore from reading the long documents which he barely knew half of what it said. 

He was signing what felt like the hundredth contract when he saw someone in the corner of his eyes, he looked up, eyes bleary and he could barely see who stood in the doorway until he had blinked away most of the tiredness.

Jamie was dressed in soft grey sweatpants and a festival t-shirt from that time when he and Jared had gone to a festival in Chicago when Jamie had just turned fifteen. It was still a mystery how that shirt still fitted Jamie and Jared was grumbling over that more than he would like to admit. 

“ I’m almost done and then we can go make some dinner,” Jared said, he was undoubtedly sure that was why Jamie came hounding for him. Jared himself had heard how his stomach had growled at him for the last hour, he had barely eaten anything since he'd been to café with his mother and in the world of Jared Padalecki that was unbelievable how he had survived for the entire day without any food to support his large frame.

" That wasn't the reason I came down but now that you mention it, I'm kinda hungry," Jamie said and Jared let out a laugh, his son was just the same. The two of them could pack away more food than an entire party if they were hungry enough.

" Well as I said, I'm almost done so check out the takeout menus in the drawer and then get back to me when you've narrowed it done to five, _ at least _ " Jamie cocked his head to the side and grinned at him, his soft auburn hair falling into his eyes.

" I thought you said you would  _ make  _ dinner tonight?" Jamie asked but he had a knowing look in his eyes, more often than not it was Jamie that cooked for the two of them, Jared had been banned from the kitchen after he had burnt the fourth of his pot roast and Jamie had feared for their lives, so the only thing Jared had been allowed to do after that was micro popcorn and coffee.

" I will  _ make  _ the phone call for the takeout so I'm actually _ making _ an effort for us to get something edible" Jared leaned back in his chair with a proud face, damn that sounded smart. Jamie just shook his head and went to look for the takeout menus.

Jared smiled, still proud of himself as he watched his son's retreating back before he returned to his work. It was hard focusing on work after Jamie had reminded him of food and he could hear the upset growl from his stomach pushing him to go order some food but he knew that Genevieve would have his head if he didn't get this finished since he'd skipped out on work earlier to go have coffee or hot chocolate with his mother. 

He sighed deeply and rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. He lifted his head to stare at the clock hanging on the wall and groaned when it showed half-past 8, he'd been sitting for  _ hours  _ with this crap. Jared tried to tell himself he was almost finished when he lifted his pen to read through the last of the last of contracts before signing it in all haste. Jared knew with his bleary eyes it would be near impossible to know if he'd signed it correctly but he also knew that Genevieve had no trust in him and would read through the entire contract once more and probably write an entirely new one for Jared to sign if there was even the slightest mistake. He said it again, she was one of a kind.

" Are you done yet?" Jamie hollered through the house and Jared swore he could see the pictures on the wall shaking from his son's voice. Jared walked into the kitchen and saw the menus spread out on the table and in a neat pile there were four menus that Jamie held out towards Jared when he entered.

" Don't care which one but it  _ has  _ to be one of these" Jamie said as Jared took the menus to look them over with a skeptical look on his face. He and Jamie had most of the time pretty similar taste but somethings Jamie had gotten from his father and Jared and Jensen had rarely ever agreed on any takeout food. More like never, ever.

Jared stopped at the menu from the small sushi place just a couple of blocks away from them and looked at Jamie before he shook his head with disappointment. He dramatically dropped the menu back on the table with a heavy sigh.

" I thought I raised you better," Jared said and sighed again as if it pained him to even believe Jamie would choose a sushi restaurant. He knew how much Jared hated sushi from the bottom of his heart. If the fish wasn't cooked it wasn't supposed to be eaten. That was Jared's philosophy and he knew Jamie thought he was childish and small minded but Jared would never budge and when the two of them ordered food Jared had a very strict rule against the sushi place.

" Then just pick something else, come on dad, I'm dying over here" Jamie whined and Jared snorted before he looked up at his son again with a serious look.

" Do you even know how hard this is. It's something that's going to affect us for the rest of the evening and I can't just pick one like that, it requires deep consideration you know" Jamie looked at Jared like he was insane before he finally threw up his hands in the air and stalked out of the kitchen.

" Yell when you've decided, your royal highness" Jamie called as he disappeared into the living room. Jared whipped his head from the menu to pout at his son even though he didn't see him.

" I'm not the royal highness! Grandma is!" Jared yelled back and could hear Jamie snigger on the sofa.

" Well, you're her son so that still makes you the royal here!"

" And your my son so that makes you royal too!"

" Well...." pause. " JUST PICK OUT A DAMN MENU SO WE CAN EAT BEFORE WE STARVE!" and that was the end of the discussion and Jared returned to his quest of  trying to pick a good takeout place He considered the menus Jamie had picked from their stash, but as he looked through them he was not happy with the selection and made a face as he read what the restaurants offered. After a while, he added his own suggestion which he then picked and prayed to God his son wouldn't notice. But how stupid was he? As soon as Jared called for Jamie again and he came back into the kitchen his eyes fell on the menu in Jared's hands. 

" That's not one of mine," he said and looked at the discarded menus on the table among the others. Jared shrugged his shoulders and tried to play dumb instead.

" Isn't it? I could've sworn it was among the ones you picked. Oh well, let's just pick it since I've already decided" Jared was already reaching for the phone before he'd even finished the sentence but his son batted his hand away and held up the menu for a small diner the both of them actually liked.

" Why can't we just pick Amell's, they got good food, we won't get food poison like that time we ordered from that British place  _ and  _ Stephen always throws in a little extra in our order for free because he loves us" Jamie held a convincing case and he knew Jared would budge, it wasn't that hard when it was talk about Amell's. Jared loved Amell's food with a deep passion and why he himself hadn't picked the menu when it had been in the suggestions he didn't even know anymore. All he knew was that he very much would've liked a milkshake from Amell's.

That manipulative little boy that was his son.

" Fine" Jared grumbled out although he had no arguments against Amell's and was already picking up the phone to dial the number.

While waiting for their order Jamie set the table and Jared returned to his office to send a mail to Genevieve about the already filled out documents, he got an answer almost immediately but it only said she would check them over tomorrow before sending them. No trust from that woman.

He heard the doorbell and Jamie yelling he would get it but Jared was first to the door, Jamie hot on his heels and the two of them threw up the door and startled the man standing outside with two brown paper bags already stained with grease. The best kind of grease.

" Hey, Stephen!" Jamie greeted before he stole the bags from Stephen's hands and returned to the kitchen leaving Jared in the doorway with Stephen.

" Hi Stephen, how are you?" Jared asked smiling as he reached into his jacket for his wallet. Stephen was the son of Charles who had owned Amell's for as long as Jared had lived in Camden and Jared couldn't even count all the time he had spent in that diner and then two years ago Charles had died from a sudden heart attack and his son Stephen had taken over the diner. 

Stephen was rough looking man but with a lean face and soft eyes that wrinkled every time he smiled. Jared and Stephen was almost the same age with Stephen only being a couple of years older and Jared. He was a nice man with a big heart and an ever bigger smile which always made Jared smile in return.

" Well, I've been hunted by Robert Singer today, he still wants me to repaint the building which is never going to happen and after I’d gotten rid of Robert Chad showed up and started harassing me, saying that the diner is still a diner and not yet a bar. Apparently, I had promised him that last week which I don't even remember doing so it's been a very intense day you could say" Stephen breathed out a deep breath that felt like something he'd been holding on for quite some time and Jared felt sorry for him. 

Robert Singer had many opinions about the town and how he wanted to change it for the better and Stephen had been in Roberts aim for some time now and although Stephen had no plans in changing the diner it didn't stop Robert from trying to convince him.

" Well I don't know about changing the diner into a bar since that would mean it wouldn't be Amell´s diner anymore, but Amell's diner  _ and  _ bar which doesn't sound as good." Stephen groaned at the sound of Stephen's diner and bar which made Jared smile sympathetically at how miserable Stephen looked.

" But with Robert, just stick it out. He'll find some new to terrorize in a while. Last year he was hounding me and Genevieve to create a TV commercial for the Inn but thank god I have Genevieve. She scared him away fast enough" that made Stephen throw his head back and laugh. It was a nice sound to hear that made Jared smile. 

" I don't doubt that for a second, she is one scary lady" Jared nodded in agreement. Genevieve wasn't just a pretty face which a lot of men assumed when they saw her petite body and soft looking face, but she was scary as hell when she wanted to.

" Dad! I'm starting you if you're not here in ten seconds" Jamie shouted from the kitchen and Stephen smiled at Jamie's threat and Jared shook his head. What a kid, threatening him with his only weakness. The little devil.

" Well I guess you better hurry if you want to at least get the scraps," Stephen said making Jared chuckle.

" Seems like it" he glanced into the kitchen and saw his son sitting by the table counting down from ten on his finger while staring intently at Jared. " I'll see you 'round Stephen" Jared smiled at the rough looking man and waved as Stephen walked down the steps and back to his truck parked by the curb.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Jared closed the door and walked back to the kitchen where Jamie was on two in his countdown but as soon as Jared entered the kitchen he dived in and started eating.

" It looks like you haven't eaten anything all day," Jared said as he sat down and picked up the still warm hamburger. It smelt delicious and as soon as Jared took his first bite he moaned loudly in the kitchen making Jamie look at him with teasing eyes but he didn't come with a snarky comment, his mouth occupied with eating.

The two first burgers were gone in the matter of second but next ones were eaten in a more reasonable state and when Jared glanced into the brown paper bags he saw with a pleased look two strawberry milkshakes and he made a mental memo to thank Stephen for the milkshakes the next time he saw him.

They were halfway through their second set of burgers when Jamie opened his mouth and broke the peaceful silence in the kitchen. He put his burger down on his plate and swallowed his mouthful before he turned his eyes to Jared but only meeting them for a second before he turned his head down and started fiddling with the wrapper he'd pulled away from his burger.

" So dad called today when I was doing my homework," Jamie said with a nonchalant voice but he still wouldn't raise his head to look at Jared. Although Jared knew Jensen would've called their son by he was still surprised.

Jared feigned the most innocent look he could and swallowed down his hamburger. " Yeah? What did he want?" Jared tried to sound surprised and just as nonchalant as his son but he could feel his body tense just thinking about Jensen at the moment.

" Well..." Jamie paused and swallowed, it seemed as if all his energy had left him in one single breath and Jared knew it was because of his dad. Whenever it was about his dad it made Jamie quiet and he always seemed tense when he talked about his father with Jared.

" He knew I didn't have any school on Friday so he asked me if I could go to New York on Thursday night instead of Friday, he said he wanted me to meet someone special this weekend"

Jamie turned his head up to look at Jared, searched his face for any reaction and Jared lifted his eyebrows in a motion of surprise, trying to fool Jamie that he had no idea about Jensen's plans for the weekend.

" Really?" he tried to smile the most sincere smile he could manage and when his eyes set on Jamie he frowned. Jamie looked closed off but Jared could still see the small insecure look in Jamie's eyes and the fear that Jared had expressed to Jensen earlier that the day was starting to creep forward. Jared's smile fell away and he leaned forward to try and catch his son's eyes.

" Hey, you don't have to go if you don't want to" Jared assured him and reached out to place a soft hand on his son's shoulder. It seemed to startle Jamie awake from whatever deep thoughts he'd been in and instead he just shrugged his shoulders and continued eating.

" No it's fine" he tried to assure Jared but Jared could see that he was lying and he knew Jamie knew he wasn't that good a liar. " I just feel weird. Dad has never found anyone he was serious about and now I haven't seen him in like a month, he has barely made even a phone call and NOW he has met someone and wants me to go up there to spend the weekend with them. Everything just feels.... weird." he sighed heavily and sunk further down into the chair.

This was exactly what Jared had been worried was going to happen, Jamie feeling like second hand and neglected. Jared hoped that Jensen had taken what Jared had said to heart and if Jamie decided to go to New York he wouldn't get hurt, and not by Jensen. Cus' although Jensen was busy with his own he would never intentionally hurt Jamie. But the situation Jensen left Jame in could be what hurt him the most.

" I know." Jared breathed out and stroked Jamie over one of his hands still fiddling with the burger wrapper. " But you know your father loves you very much, right. And he would never hurt you on purpose it's just sometimes he gets to full of himself and space out everything else but his own excitement" Jamie laughed but it sounded choked and Jared could see tears glistening in his eyes. He pulled away from his chair and walked over to Jamie before he sat down on his knees and hugged his son.

“ I don’t even know why I’m crying right now” Jamie grumbled and buried his face in Jared’s neck. Jared chuckled softly and stroked him over his back while hushing him softly.

Jamie had never been one for expressing too many emotions much like Jensen, it had always been Jared that had expressed emotions enough for all three of them together. But his dad had always been a vulnerable spot for Jamie, it was one of the few things that would make him tear up and even cry.

“ It’s okay. Sometimes you don’t know why you are crying, sometimes it’s just nice to let out the tension through a mass of tears and snot that will cover daddy’s shoulder” he could feel Jamie laugh between his hitched sobs and it made Jared smile at making his son laugh. Jamie pulled away from his shoulder and just as Jared had predicted Jamie was covered in snot and tears, his hazel green eyes were red and shining with still unshed tears. His cheeks were red and in the soft light from the kitchen lamp you could make out trails of tears that had passed over his smooth skin.

Jamie’s eyes fell on Jared’s dark shirt and his eyes widened slightly before he started to chuckle and lifted his hand to wipe away the tear-snot mix from his dad’s shoulder. “ You were right about the tears and the shoulder…” he mumbled and another hitched sob left his body shaking a little.

Jared stroked Jamie over his cheek, taking the track of tears with him. “ Well a dad knows everything” he joked with a proud smile but the only response he got was a snort and a set of rolling eyes. He could hear a grumbled ‘yeah, right’ from Jamie but chose to ignore his snarky comment.

Instead, Jared got up from his seat on the hard floor and reached out his hand for Jamie to take. “ Come on. I don’t think sitting in this depressed kitchen any longer is healthy for either one of us. Jared gathered his plate still overfilled with fries and a half-eaten burger and watched Jamie do the same before he took Jared’s offered hand and pulled himself up from the chair.

They curled up on the couch together, Jared’s long legs resting on the coffee table and Jamie’s head placed on his shoulders. A comedy rolling on the screen which Jared had found by accident while scrolling through the channels on the TV and with an approving noise from Jamie - who had gotten his appetite back and already had his mouth filled with delicious burger again - Jared had left the remote on the table and let himself be pulled into the romantic comedy about the young couple trying to lie there way out of whatever trouble they had gotten into.

After dinner was finished and the plates had basically been licked clean the two of them stayed on the couch just enjoying each others company. The couple was at a dining party with the man’s family and the scene kind of reminded Jared of how dinner in Falmouth with his own family used to look like.

“ Do you think she’s nice?” Jamie suddenly asked and Jared looked down at him, his head still placed on Jared’s shoulder and his eyes were trained on the TV watching another problem evolve around the dinner table. Jared already knew who Jamie was talking about, it didn’t take a genius to figure out.

“ I don’t know” he paused and could feel the rapid nod from Jamie against his shoulder, he obviously believed that to be Jared’s only answer to the question. “ But one thing I do know and that’s for sure. Your dad has a very good taste in partners, that’s how he ended up with me and if he believes this woman to be nice enough and they are serious enough for you to meet her I don’t doubt she is a very nice woman. But as I said and I’ll say it again, if you don’t feel comfortable meeting her or even going you know you can always tell me, or your father. He’ll understand” That’s what Jared hoped at least, but hearing Jamie express the same fear as Jared had earlier, the risk that Jensen would think Jared had something to do with Jamie’s decision was immediate.

It was quiet for a long time but Jared could almost hear Jamie thinking to himself. He was fiddling with the edge of the old blanket they had pulled around themselves and chewing on his bottom lip, a habit he had definitely gotten from Jared.

“ Maybe I should give her a shot, I mean, dad sounded really excited when he talked about me coming to New York on Thursday instead of Friday. I don’t wanna disappoint him and say no” Jamie sounded insecure and guilty for thinking about skipping out on his dad and his new girlfriend. Of course, that wasn’t Jensen’s fault for making Jamie feel like he did, it was just Jensen being excited and Jaime being too good for his own good and never wanting to disappoint anyone.

“ I think, you should do what you wanna do and if that’s skipping out on New York then your father will just have to accept that you are not ready to meet anyone of his yet since you haven’t seen him in a month. And if it’s going then I know everything is gonna be fine and that you have nothing to worry about with your father or with this woman of his but the decision has to be yours. Not your father’s or mine, okay?” he pulled his son close to him and turned Jamie’s head with a light push against his cheek with the palm of Jared’s hand to look at him.

He could see the indecisiveness in Jamie’s eyes and even though Jared didn’t want to force Jamie into taking any rash decisions because he felt pressured by him, Jared still wanted Jamie to understand that this was a decision he had to make, not at the exact moment but in the immediate future. It was a step towards adulthood as his own parents had always said when Jared was faced with something difficult he would rather hide behind his father than actually do it.

“ Yeah…” Jamie breathed out and nodded his head softly. “ Let’s just forget about it for tonight and we can talk about it more tomorrow. Please dad,” Jamie’s tired voice convinced Jared to let the subject go, he knew his son would not come to any decision tonight and he was clearly tired of trying to figure out his own brain and his own emotions. Jared nodded his head.

“ Sure, you still have time to decide what you wanna do, but you’re right, let’s just watch this sad couple on TV instead” Jared nodded at the currently crying woman sitting on a park bench in the rain. Jamie laughed softly before he rearranged his position so he was laying on the other end of the couch with his feet in Jared’s lap making Jared wrinkle his nose in disgust.

“ What?” Jamie asked innocently, any trace of sadness gone from his face and was replaced by mischievousness, Jamie had been quick at figuring out how to leave any kind of worry behind him and almost blocking it out of his mind whenever he didn’t feel like thinking about it anymore.

“ Your feet are on my lap, are you trying to kill me?” Jared held a hand in front of his mouth and nose as if trying desperately to shut out the stench from his teenage son’s feet but all he got was a snicker from Jamie as he made himself more comfortable on the couch.

“ Well I’ve heard a foot rub is the way to get rid of smelly feets” Jamie wiggled his feet invitingly and Jared pretended to throw up as he looked at the feet taking up his lap with disgusted eyes.

“ And who told you that? Chad perhaps?” Jared raised a questioning eyebrow, his hand still clasped over his mouth making his words muffled but he knew Jamie had heard him.

“ No” he drawled out slowly and his eyes flickered from the TV and back to Jared again. “ It was a professional doctor that told me that" Jared nodded his head pouting his lips slightly as if he was actually starting to believe what Jamie was saying was true.

" Sure... that seems plausible, but where did you meet this doctor? Since I have never seen a doctor specialized in smelly feets down at the clinic" Jared waited as Jamie was trying to come up with another lie and it somewhat amused Jared how far Jamie would take this lie just so he could get a foot rub out of Jared.

" That's because he works in New England but apparently our principle knew him and he promised to let the doctor come have a presentation for the entire class in the gym" Jared couldn't keep himself from laughing and moved his hand away from his mouth and slapped his son's shin as he shook his head in clear amusement.

" That's so. And he said a foot rub was supposed to help with your smelly ass feet stinking up this place?" Jamie nodded his head in agreement and wiggled his toes trying to get Jared to agree to the supposed doctor's advice.

" Yep, that's what he said, and he also told me you were very good a giving foot rubs so he knew I would be in capable hands when my disease hits me" Jamie made a dramatic gesture with his hand, placing it over his forehead as if he was feverish but when Jared exclaimed a loud ' I KNEW IT!' Jamie tensed on the couch clearly knowing he had been busted.

" This is all Chad, isn't it!? He is the only one dumb enough to try and propose a thing like that, so why wouldn't he wanna try and get the other knucklehead involved in his ‘cause’ " Jared emphasized the word knucklehead by roughly pulling on one of Jamie's toes even though he would probably get infected with leprosy or some other dangerous disease the would have evolved from wearing the same pair of sneaker for days on end even though Jared had done his best to try and hide him. Perhaps the rotten smell from the shoes gave their whereabouts away and Jamie could sniff his way to his beloved shoes.

" Well if sources are to be true, you have given Chad a foot rub and you're calling me a knucklehead" Jamie snickered as he straightened himself, leaning on his elbows as he stared at Jared with an amused glint in his hazel green eyes.

Jared could feel his cheeks heat slightly. He huffed slightly and shoved away Jamie's fingers that were poking into his side while still giggling like a madman.

" Shuddup! He manipulated me into doing it. I was drunk and waaaay to impressionable. I was a victim" Jared put a hand over his heart and looked at Jamie who barely kept himself from laughing.  
  
"Yeah totally, you were a victim, abused by Chad for a foot rub, that's hilarious" Jamie fell back on the couch as he started laughing again.

It wasn't a lie and that was the worst part of it all. Chad had gotten Jared very drunk the first night of their junior spring break. Chad had apparently, managed to steal an entire bottle of whiskey from his dad's liquor cabinet without his knowledge and that night the two of them had gotten together with a few of their other friends who all had drunken strong liquor before and knew how to handle it a little better than a naive Jared who'd only managed to take a sip of his mother's mimosa when he'd been thirteen and had mistaken it for orange juice.

He had gotten smashed beyond words and there had only been fragments of the night when he'd woken up by Chad's pool in a lounge chair with sunglasses glued to his face.

He had seen a laughing Chad hugging a blonde girl Jared hadn't recognized, he had watched Jared from over her shoulder and given him a thumbs up, he was gonna get laid that night.

But as the hangover slowly pulled itself back from his wrecked body more of that night had flitted back into his mind and one of those memories had been Chad sitting on the same lounge chair that Jared had woken up in, his feet propped up on a small wooden table and Jared slowly rubbing his feet. If the hangover hadn't made him throw up, the image of his fingers touching the rough skin of Chad Michael Murray's feet would certainly make him throw up. And it did, repeatedly.

" Yeah, yeah laugh it up" Jared muttered but he couldn't help his own smile from sliding over his face. It was actually quite funny, although traumatizing. Jared had known form the start that something bad was gonna happen but he had been a fool to listen to his incompetent friend. And he had paid for his own stupidity.

" So I guess Chad was right then," Jamie asked tentative but mischievousness coloring his every word. Jared narrowed his eyes at his son waiting for him to continue.   
" What do you mean?" Jamie shrugged his shoulders as he buried himself a little further down on the couch trying to get comfortable with his feet still in Jared's lap awaiting a foot rub they were never gonna get.

Just as Jamie was about to open his mouth and respond Jared cut him off with a finger in front of Jamie's half-opened mouth.   
" No! I don't wanna hear anything more about Chad, or foot rubs or anything that will open my scars again" he shook his head and Jamie rolled his eyes and was once again about to say something when Jared interrupted again. " Don't you think about it or I will make sure you'll never need to ask for a for a foot rub again" he growled threateningly, of course he had no plans on doing anything irrational, yet, but as Jamie had kept on teasing him and begging him for that damned foot rub an amputations of both feet didn't sound that crazy after all.

" Then it's not my fault when you get choked to death by my smelling feets since you just dug yourself a grave" Jamie pursed his lips as he got up from the couch, Jared smirked sarcastically up at him before he too got up from the very comfortable couch to drag himself to bed.

" I'll be sure to remember that" he patted Jamie on the head before turning around and gathering the empty plates. He carried them out to the still existing pile of dishes and groaned loudly at the sight of it.

" What are you groaning like an old man about?" Jamie stood in the doorway and looked at him. Jared made a dramatic gesture towards the big mountain and Jamie hissed and squeezed his eyes shut, Jared nodded his head in agreement, this problem was more common in the Padalecki home but every time they were faced with it, it always surprised them.

" When are we gonna stop doing this" Jared asked and glanced back a the pile, he had turned his back towards it, trying to imagine it didn't exist anymore.

" We're never gonna stop, that's the problem" he slowly walked over to the mountain. Jared was actually surprised the mountain of dishes were still standing the way it had been left earlier in the morning even though more things had carefully been placed on top. It was a game of some sort, trying to find out just for how long the mountain would stay up before it toppled down and destroyed almost every plate and coffee mug they owned. And THAT would be devastating.

" Screw it" Jared finally sighed after the two of them had stood staring at it for way too long. " It's a problem for future Jared and future Jamie. Let's just get to bed instead and forget about it, okay?" it didn't take any more convincing than that and Jamie nodded his head in agreement before they went upstairs to their separate bedrooms.

Jared was just about to turn his doorknob to his room when he was interrupted by Jamie.

" Hey, dad?"

Jared turned around and saw Jamie standing in the doorway to his blackened room, his skin looked pale against the dark background and his eyes seemed to shine in green and gold swirling together inside his eyes.

" Yeah?" It was a soft response that almost didn't carry across the room to Jamie.  
" Thanks for...., you know," Jaime paused and glanced down at his bare feet, grinning a little at the sight of them which in turn made Jared grin. " Everything with dad and his girlfriend and New York, just thank you for today" Jamie's voice was grumbled and low and Jared's smile widened at what his son said, a warm proud feeling spread through his body and he felt himself smile at his son.

" Of course, you know you can always talk to me, about anything" Jamie nodded his head quickly, rolling his eyes at the phrase Jared had given him many times over the years but he also knew that even though Jamie would never admit it, he seemed to like being reminded of that fact.

" Yeah, I know" he snarked with another eye roll and Jared grinned at him. " I'll see you in the morning dad. Goodnight"

" Goodnight Jamie"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy with all your wonderful comments, I hope I'll be able to continue with this regular update once a week now that the holiday is over and all. But anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this as well!

After their talk on Monday night, Jared and Jamie hadn't mentioned Jensen or his offer about Jamie coming to New York a day earlier. Jared knew that Jamie would have to decide for himself what he wanted but Jared couldn't help but worry about his son and the offer from his father.

Of course, he knew Jensen would never hurt Jamie but accidents and misunderstanding happened too easily for Jared's comfort and that's what worried him the most. 

On Tuesday when the two of them had woken up Jamie had acted like nothing had happened the previous night and it made Jared frown, he hated the nonchalance displayed by Jamie just as much as he hated it when Jensen had done it to him when they had been younger. It was as if they were allergic to talking about their vulnerability, but at least Jamie was a bit more cooperative and more in touch with his feelings than Jensen had ever been.

" Good morning, dad" Jared was seated at the kitchen table awaiting his son when he appeared with a wide grin, already dressed and ready to head out.

" You're in good mood today" Jared narrowed his eyes suspiciously but Jamie just shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the doorway. 

" I dunno, do I have a reason to be in a bad mood or what?" he asked and when his eyes met Jared he could see the warning to not bring yesterday up. Jared shook his head and rose from his seat.

" I guess not," he said as he pulled his bag from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. Jared threw an eye at the old watch hanging on the wall in the kitchen and smiled in satisfaction.

" Since you've been such a good boy and not hidden any of my things today, I believe we have time for a coffee at Amell's before I take you to school," Jared said as he walked out from the house, his son trailing behind him.

Jamie made an offended noise and when Jared turned around he saw his son had stopped on the lawn with his hand clutching his heart.

" Why oh why would I ever hide your things, am I really that inconsiderate?" Jared barked out a laugh as he jumped into the Jeep waiting for Jamie do the same.

"  I believe it was only yesterday that you had to drag me out from under the bed 'cause you had hidden my shoe" Jared started the car and turned to look at his son with a pointed look as he got in on the passenger seat. 

" The shoe wasn't my doing it must have been you in your sleep or something because grandma has taught me to have respect towards my elders" Jamie answered with the sweetest smile he could muster but Jared just threw him a 'cut the crap' look before he shook his head, a small smile spreading over his chapped lips.

" That innocence might work on your grandma but I'm immune to that by now, remember I'm the one who raised you, I've seen aaaaall your tricks" Jared smirked as Jamie grumbled under his breath.  That was the truth. If Jamie just flashed his puppy eyes at his grandma he would get away with anything. Jared had pointed that out to his mother but all she had done was waved it off and told Jared to stop being a jealous child and start acting more like an adult. 

" Grandma would believe me" Jamie grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest as he pouted like a petulant child making Jared grin at him and ruffle his hair.

" That's just because you're still grandma little boy" Jared teased making Jamie freeze in his seat and turn to stare at his laughing father. Jamie pulled down his jacket and showed off his bicep muscle to Jared who only nodded along in mock - agreement.

" Does this look like a little boy's to you!?" Jamie yelled before he took one of the plastic spoon left on the dashboard from when the two of them had gotten ice cream for what felt like hundred years ago. 

Jamie broke the yellow spoon into two pieces and threw them back on the dashboard with a satisfied smirk as if he had proven himself.

" You breaking a plastic spoon doesn't make you a man, it just shows you're still a little boy that likes to get  raspberries on his tummy and a pinch to the cheek" Jared knew he was pushing it and he also knew his son's revenge would be horrifying, it was something that had happened repeatedly over the years but Jared just couldn't stop himself from teasing his son. And his son had always been good at teasing back, just that much harder. 

As they entered the town they surrounded themselves with the townsfolk, already up and about, enjoying one of last day of the sunny fall days before the town fell under eternal greyness, or well for the coming 4 months.

" Hey, isn't that Stephen and Robert arguing?" Jamie suddenly said and pointed  at the two figures standing outside Amell's making wild gestures at each other. Jared shook his head but couldn't hold back a smile although he felt bad for Stephen since he was apparently Robert's lasting target.

" I guess Stephen didn't take my advice last night" Jared mused to himself as he parked by the curb outside Amell's Diner but the sound of the car didn't seem to interrupt the fight between the two men. " Come on Jamie, let's go save Stephen from Mr. Insistent over there before they break something"

Jamie snorted loudly. " You really think Robert could break something?" Jamie asked as the two of them left the car. Jared chuckled as he walked around the car to meet Jamie, the two of them watching the men gesture wildly at each other with raised voices making people stare at them with round, scared eyes.

" Well no, I was thinking more along the lines of Stephen perhaps throwing Robert through the window once he's fed up. If you look at it like that, then I guess Robert really can break something"

Jamie snorted out a laugh and tried to cover it with a hand over his mouth as they walked up to the two men who were still very much involved with their screaming match that was drawing more and more attention to them by the second.

" All I'm saying is that this town will never gain any tourists when it looks like this! Think about the people visiting this place, don't you think they deserve to be met by a  _ beautiful  _ town, not this...." Robert gestured wildly up at the minty green building that was Amell's diner. " sad facade" Robert finished and shook his head as if the fact that the building looked like this actually pained him. 

" I don't care if you think it looks sad! The color stays and if the tourists don't like it well then I guess they don't have to visit it!" Stephen growled back and took a step closer to Robert and that was Jared's queue to break them up.

" Okay, now let's take a step back and not kill each other," he said and placed a hand on both men's shoulders. Stephen turned his angry eyes to Jared but when his eyes met Jared's they soften and he did as Jared had asked and moved back from his standoff with Robert. 

" Now what's the issue here," Jared asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest and to himself he sounded almost grown up and very parent-y like and he smiled proudly to himself. He turned his smile towards Jamie who only watched him with a roll of his eyes and a sigh as if thinking Jared’s ‘grown up’ display was ridiculous, which it most certainly was not. Robert was still staring at Stephen with narrowed eyes as he finally answered Jared.

" This stubborn mule has apparently decided that his diner isn't going to upgrade and instead look like it has done for the last TWENTY YEARS!" Robert threw his hand in the air as if Stephen's decision was scandalous.

Jared glanced at Jamie standing beside him, a grin pulling at his lips and Jared rolled his eyes at the drama displayed by Robert Singer for only his son to see. This was not the first time Robert Singer had flipped about the town not being up to date with the rest of the world. His vision included that every house and building was supposed to be by his design and his design only. It didn't help that Robert owned a lot of the main buildings in Camden and he was on the city council. It was like fighting an immovable wall slowly pushing against you. But at least you ought to try and stop him before he runs you over, that's what Genevieve had said after she had gotten rid of him when he had been hanging around the Inn trying to convince Jared to  _ upgrade. _

" Stubborn mule" Stephen muttered under his breath and gave Robert a dark look before he shook his head and turned to Jared and Jamie. " I can't take this. I've got a diner to run and I don’t need you ruining my business anymore than you normally do” Stephen growled out before he turned to Jamie and Jared standing by the side of the fight. “ you two can come in after you're done here,  with this  _ goblin _ ” Stephen spitted back the word goblin at Robert who only pouted his lips in anger as his face grew redder in anger. Stephen turned towards Jamie and Jared again, his shoulders sagging as he calmed himself down “I'll have to coffees ready to go for ya" after that Stephen disappeared with Robert staring angrily after him.

" Can you believe him!? Does he simply not care about preserving our town?" Robert asked Jamie and Jared who only stared at him for a long moment.

" Well... I think that's exactly what Stephen is trying to do, after all, he doesn't wanna repaint and that is perceiving so I guess you can't call him out on that" Jamie dead panned and shrugged his shoulders in Robert’s direction. His response only earned him a look of betrayal from Robert as his angry blue eyes clashed with Jamie’s hazel green. Jared shook his head by the side at the stupidity displayed by his son. He rubbed a hand over his forehead as he closed his eyes when Robert let out a gasp that sounded more like it fit his mother.

" Who's side are you on?" Robert asked Jamie with hurt clear in his voice which made Jared huff out a laugh which he didn't bother trying to hide from Robert as he thought the whole conversation was ridiculous, just like the man pursuing it.

" Robert, is it really that big of a deal if Stephen doesn't wanna repaint the building. I mean none of the other residents in Camden has ever complained about how the building looks so why are you trying so hard to make him change it?" Jared asked. The building wasn't even looking that bad at all. It was slightly sun bleached but the color was still clear and had yet to start to flake. There was no reason to repaint it yet and Jared could understand why Stephen didn't wanna do it.

The building hadn't changed at all since Stephen' father Charles had passed away and Stephen was persistent that it was suppose to stay like that since in his eyes the diner was still his father's although he had left it to Stephen in his will. In Jared’s opinion it sounded very sweet what Stephen was doing and it always made his heart ache when he thought about it. A nice guy like Stephen who only wanted to preserve what his father had once made shouldn’t be exposed to a man like Robert Singer who only cared about the town’s reputation.

" Today it's not a big deal but in just a few months that building" he pointed at Amell's diner with a threatening finger. " is going to look like a haunted house and he will lose all his customers!" Robert screamed the last sentence as if he wanted Stephen to hear him from inside the diner before he jerkily turned around and started stomping down the sidewalk. Jared tilted his head to the side and imagine Robert as an evil giant in a fantasy movie. It was quite hilarious, considerings his small and rather chubby frame.

" Mark my words!" was the last thing Robert yelled before he disappeared around the corner. Jared turned to Jamie who was staring at Robert with a surprised look, his eyebrows raised and his mouth hanging slightly open. 

" That was... intense," he said and Jared barked a laugh before he walked up the stairs to Amell's diner. Jared opened the door and let himself and Jamie inside the warm diner. More often than not when you talked to Robert it always became extremely intense as Jamie put it.

As the walked inside they saw Stephen was behind the counter serving coffee to one of the morning customers sitting in a chair reading the morning newspaper. Jared and Jamie sat down by the counters and as soon as they sat down Stephen served them two cups of coffee. Jared raised his cup in a thankful gesture and Stephen returned the gesture with a blinding smile before he turned around and picked up an order to serve.

" I think Robert is lying about Stephen losing all his customers and going bankrupt" Jamie mused as he blew softly on his steaming coffee. Jared raised an eyebrow and made a gestured for his son to continue.

" What do you mean?" he asked and Jamie pulled off his jacket and hung it on one of the hooks under the counter before he turned himself towards Jared and answered.

" This diner is basically our second home, right?" Jamie went quiet as he awaited Jared's confirming nod. " Right," Jamie continued. "and we always buy waaaaay too much from this place so there is no chance this place would go bankrupt" Jamie nodded his head, proud of his own conclusion and Jared smiled over his mug of coffee encased in his large hand to warm them up.

"That sounds very wise my son" he answered with a deep Obi- Wan Kenobi voice which made Jamie grin as he nodded his head in agreement. The two of them shared a smile at their mutual agreement before continuing drinking their coffee in silence, just listening to the sounds of the diner. 

The soft rumble of people talking, the little bell ringing whenever an order was ready, the sound of frying pans from the kitchen and the coffeemakers brewing behind the counter.

Jared glanced up at the big clock hanging over the entrance door and was satisfied to see that the two of them was for probably the first time in a month on time and didn't have to rush just so the two of them could arrive on time, to school and to work.

And if Jared ever came in late, Genevieve would chew him up for his lateness. Sometimes Jared would wonder if perhaps the guests were as afraid of Genevieve as he was. During breakfast, the dining hall was always filled at eight o'clock on the dot and that may be the work of Genevieve wanting the Inn to work like a machine with no bumps, those bumps usually the act of arriving late. Whether it be the boss or the guests. 

Stephen walked back behind the counter and stopped in front of Jamie and Jared. Jared couldn't help but give him a pitying smile as comfort. Stephen's cheeks were still flushed from his argument with Robert outside and he still had the wrinkles on his forehead which he always got when he was stressed.

" You look kinda flushed" Jamie pointed out and Stephen gave him a tired smile in return that only added to his ragged face. Jared hummed in agreement and sat his mug down on the counter again.

" That's true, you look like a bus ran you over" Jamie chuckled beside him and Stephen snorted before shaking his head. He turned his head so his blue eyes met Jared's hazel ones and Stephen looked almost miserable.

" That's because I actually  _ was  _ ran over by a bus, his name is Robert Singer" Stephen sighed and Jared had to bite his bottom lip so he wouldn't smile at the clearly miserable state Stephen was in. Jared reached across the counter and patted Stephen lightly on one of his hands in comfort.

" Hey now, I don't think he will bother you for the coming month or so" Jared tried to sound positive but just hearing that Robert would return at one point or the other was apparently enough for Stephen to continuing his feeling sorry for himself parade, although Jared understood him to the fullest. Jared continued to pat Stephen on his hand as he groaned to himself in self-pity.

" Yeah, instead of standing here moaning like the stubborn mule-" Jared cut his son off by elbowing him in his stomach and giving him a warning look to take pity on Stephen and not go all hard-ass on him. Jamie just rolled his eyes and huffed before he reached over and pinched Jared in his side that almost made him yelp in both hurt and surprise.

" All I was going to say was, don't stand here feeling sorry for yourself, that just shows Robert you're about to give in just to make him terrorizing you stop" Jamie sounded like a commandant in a war, and he looked like one too when he raised his fisted hand in a gesture of victory as he held a serious face that almost made Jared laugh again but he was still sore from the pinching from before and was rubbing what he was probably going to become a bruise.

" He's right, you know" Jared agreed with his son. Stephen looked up at the two of them and a smile fell on his face as he met their eyes.

" You seem to know an awful lot of fighting against the tyrant Robert," Stephen said and Jared huffed as he leaned back in his chair with a loud sigh.

" Trust me, like I told you yesterday, it was only a few months ago that he was terrorizing me about the Inn, we have first-hand experiences with him" Jared explained and it made Stephen smile, that bright smile that almost made Jared's inside churn but he decided to swallow it down and ignore it.

This was certainly not the time for Jared to start feeling anything, anything at all. He needed to keep his focus on Jamie, especially with the hard time Jamie was having with his father and his new girlfriend, Jamie didn't need Jared to do the exact same thing. 

Instead, Jared just returned the smile with a soft one of his own and then he thanked the gods as Stephen was called away by the chef and had to return to work. As Stephen disappeared away Jared exhaled a deep breath he didn't know he'd been carrying.

Stephen was nice, there was no doubt about it, but although Jamie was almost eighteen Jared still felt like Jamie was his little baby, the little peanut he had to protect his whole life. When Jared had only been nineteen and had recently broken up with Jensen it had only been Jared and Jamie against the world. Jamie had been his reason to get up in the morning and his reason not to fall into any of the black holes that lined their path.

And that was the reason why Jared couldn't even allow himself to start to feel anything for anyone.

His eyes followed the movement of Stephen and as he disappeared back into the stock Jared's eyes fell on Jamie who was currently sitting with phone texting someone and smiling while he did it.

Jared's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the phone in his son's hands. That was the phone Jared had hidden in one of the cabinets in the kitchen, one of the dustier ones where Jamie never would've guessed he would've hidden it in. How the heck did he find it?

Jared cleared his throat and Jamie seemed to freeze. Realizing he was busted he desperately tried to hide his phone as he smiled innocently at Jared.

" I hid that. Very carefully, I might add." Jared pointed out as he looked pointedly down at the phone Jamie had clutched in his big hands. " So how the hell did you find it?" Jared lifted a questioning eyebrow and waited for his son's answer.

Jamie seemed to have an inner debate about whether he was going to lie his father straight in his face or if he was going to tell the truth. Jared smirked in satisfaction at his son's caged look and just leaned back in his chair as he waited for what Jamie might come up with.

" Well," Jamie swallowed hard and seemed to press out the words with reluctance. " I used the house phone and called it when you were still at work last night" he admitted and suddenly Jared didn't feel all that confident anymore. How could he not have thought about the house phone and how easy it would've been and apparently were to find the phone Jared had been sure he had hidden away well.

Damn his son, Jared thought bitterly but he couldn't say it had been his best hiding place, not now when he found out it didn't take that many brain cells to figure out how to find it but he guessed those were the brain cells Jamie had earned from Jensen and NOT from Jared.

" Damn" he muttered out in surprise and his apparent stupidity seemed to make his son the cocky one and not Jared. He smiled and seemed perfectly satisfied with the way he had gotten back his confiscated phone.

" Admit it, that was pretty clever" he nudged Jared with his elbow against his ribs which made Jared try to bat his elbow away before he giggled like a little girl as his son tickled his ribs. 

" Cut it out, you _ child _ " he scolded Jamie who only turned his head to the roof and let out a laugh that pulled the other customer's eyes towards the son and father sitting by the counter teasing each other, or more like Jamie teasing the hell out of his poor, helpless father.

" Why should I? It's so funny when you act like that, and you call me a child!" he clasped Jared on his shoulder as he leaned over him, still laughing as he squeezed Jared’s shoulder with too much force almost making him whine, again, like a little girl.

" It's really not that funny" Jared grumbled out, looking down at his son with narrowed eyes and a pouting mouth which sure as hell didn't help his case in making Jamie stop laughing. 

" I'm going to the bathroom"  Jared announced, still sounding like a fourteen-year-old girl and it only fired on Jamie's constant teasing.

" You gonna go cry in the ladies room?" Jamie mocked, trying to keep himself from giggling throughout the question and his only answer was a dark look from Jared. Sometimes Jared was sure his son wasn't his and Jensen but more along the lines of the devil's spawn destined to wreak havoc and chaos on earth by terrorizing Jared until his death.

" When I get back  I want this ' let's all bully our poor father' thingy to be over, you got that _ Giggles _ ?" Jared looked pointedly at his son before he turned around on the ball of his feets and left for the bathroom, still hearing Jamie's laugh, nay, _ giggles _ in the background.

Jared did his business and when he went back he was met with a more collected Jamie, he didn't even have that small teasing glint in his eyes which he usually had. Instead, he was looking down on his phone, fiddling with it in his long slender fingers. 

" Hey" Jared announced his presence to his clearly oblivious son and he looked up with a soft smile on his slightly chapped lips. Jared frowned in concern and was about to ask what had happened while he'd been to the bathroom but Jamie beat him to it. 

" I just called dad" he began and Jared felt his chest go tight with worry but he didn't say anything and waited for Jamie to continue. Although there was still the usual sound of the diner around them it seemed as if all had faded away and only left the sound of Jamie's voice and irrational hard thumping of Jared's heart in his chest.

There was a thick silence hanging between them for a long time before Jamie opened his mouth again. 

" He asked me if I had decided yet" Jamie paused as if he didn't find the right words, or he was just worried about how Jared would react to whatever he was about to say. But Jared just waited patiently for him to continue.

" He asked me again if I wanted to come to New York on Thursday and I told him, yes"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter became quite long but I wanted to get it all in there so instead it became a little bit longer than I'd first anticipated, hope that's not a problem and I hope you'll like it!

Jared didn't know what to say at first. Of course, he was happy that his son had decided to give his father and this new woman, Danneel, a chance but at the same time it was something that had caused Jamie both anxiety and pain and it was hard letting him do something Jared was afraid would hurt him.

" You're going to your dad on Thursday instead?" Jared asked as if he was clearing up what Jamie had said although he had heard him pretty damn clear. Jamie tried to smile but his eyes were filled with insecurity as if he didn't know what reaction to expect from Jared at all. That wasn't something Jared hadn't wanted Jamie to feel either, he could feel the guilt pile up inside him. His son apparently knew how Jared felt about the entire thing and just as much as he didn't want to disappoint Jensen, he didn't want to disappoint Jared either. He was too afraid to just tell Jared what he felt without looking like he was about to run out from the diner with his flailing  in the air.

" That's the plan." Jamie nodded his head to confirm it but then paused. "unless you have any objections?" Jamie asked and Jared frowned at him. Why would he have any objections? Sure, right now Jensen and Jared weren't the best of pals and Jared had displayed his worries about the trip to both Jensen and Jamie but he would never deny Jamie the right to see his father, just as much as he would never deny Jensen manager their son.

" Of course not" he explained, still with the frown in place. " Why would I have any objections. You know you can visit your father at any given time" Jamie quickly nodded his head as if to reassure Jared that that wasn't the reason for his question. 

Jared looked at the clock again and sighed. He didn't wanna leave Jamie at school with the clearly unfinished discussion hanging between them but there was no time.

" We gotta go unless you wanna be late" Jared stated and Jamie seemed to be pulled from wherever his mind had sneaked off to. He coughed lightly and nodded in agreement. Whatever had happened as soon as Jamie had brought up Jensen to their morning conversations had a very awkward impact on the two of them. It didn't happen that often that there was any awkwardness between Jamie and Jared, they shared basically everything with each other.

This was something pretty new and had started as soon as Jamie was old enough to go to his father on his own. Jared had never figured out what had been the factor of awkwardness but he believed it had something to do with Jamie.

He was desperate to please everybody around him, mostly Jensen and Jared. But Jared and Jensen were two entirely different persons with entirely different opinions and Jared had a feeling that although Jamie had never rolled over for anyone opinions, Jared also knew for a fact that Jamie had a hard time taking in both his parents opinions since he himself always wanted to be united with them.

Jared had tried to be more careful about what he said and didn't say to his son since he didn't want him to feel like he had to choose between Jensen and Jared. Jamie should never feel pressured into doing something like that and Jared hoped that Jensen knew that as well but a tiny voice inside his head whispered to him that the possibility of Jensen realizing that was very slim since he rarely spent time with Jamie.

The drive to Jamie's school was awkward and the only sound was the low mumble of the radio talk show. Jared glanced at Jamie sitting beside him, his hands intertwined with each other as he stared at the road ahead.

Jared didn't know how to break the silence and it was killing him. He would often just pull a stupid joke or tease his son until whatever was hanging over them evaporated but Jared was himself lost in thoughts. 

" Dad?" Jamie's voice sounded small and a bit insecure. Jared made a soft humming noise to show he was listening. " You're not mad, are you?" he asked and once again Jamie's question surprised Jared. What was with this kid today surprising Jared time and time again. Jared looked away from the road for just a second to stare at his son with open surprise displayed on his face.

" Mad? Why in the world would I be mad?" Jared asked, his voice sounded almost offended. He swallowed hard and tried to collect himself again. Sounded more accusingly would only result in Jamie believing his father to be angry with him for real.

" I dunno, about me leaving on Thursday" he softly chewed on his bottom lip in nervous habit as he started to grind his hands together, making them slick with sweat and warm. " 'cus I can skip it if you want" Jamie was quick to add and then Jared didn't care if Jamie was gonna be late for school. These nervous insecurities displayed by his usually happy and rather cocky son was more important and Jared didn't want Jamie to got to school feeling like crap all day.

He pulled over to the curb and shut off the car, inside the car it remained quiet as Jared studied his son much like his own mother would to with him.

" You wanna tell me what's going on, the entire story this time" Jared finally said and he could see Jamie tense. He had his eyes cast down but Jared just waited patiently for him to open up to him.

" I don't know what you want me to do" Jamie finally said, his voice sounded distressed and he lifted his eyes to stare up at Jared with tears filling them but Jared could see Jamie desperately trying to hold them back. " I wanna stay here because I know how worried you get when I go to dad but at the same time it seems like you want me to go to New York and give them a chance because you said everything would be alright if I did but I can see you worry about dad and his new girlfriend and how it's gonna go this weekend, I just..." Jamie cut off his own rambling, trying to swallow down a sob that was working its  way up his throat. Jamie turned his face down again but not before Jared saw the tears silently running down his cheeks.

" Hey, you..." Jared put his hands to Jamie's cheeks and softly lifted his head so their eyes met. Jamie's green orbs were filled with still unshed tears and for a moment he still looked like the little four-year-old who'd banged his head at grandma and grandpa. Jamie had been sitting on the floor looking up at Jared, with one of his chubby hands pressed to his head, to see if he could figure out whether he was supposed to cry or not. Jamie had been so small back then, and he and Jared had been attached at the hip. Wherever Jared went, little Jamie would follow even though he had just left to go to the bathroom, Jamie would patiently wait outside for him, often sitting by the door staring up at the door handle until it turned and his daddy would be back.

" Of course I worry about your kiddo, I worry about you all the time. When you are supposed to walk home from school alone after football practice I worry, well until I hear your giant footsteps on the porch." Jared paused and Jamie let out a choked laugh making Jared smile softly down at him before he continued  "It's a parent-y thing to worry about you guys, to us, you kids will always be our little babies, y'know? These little munchkins who runs around and terrorizes us but you should never feel guilty about choosing to do something you wanna do 'cus you're afraid I'm gonna worry about you" Jared explained. He stroked Jamie's cheeks with his thumbs as he softly smiled at his son.

" You should never let my worries get the best of you. I want you to go out and do what you wanna do and I'll always support what you choose to do but that doesn't mean I won't worry. Like I said it's just how we parents are" Jared shrugged his shoulder helplessly at the statement with a grin on his lips. Jamie stared at him with disbelief coloring his eyes but slowly his body seemed to relax and he saw that what Jared had said, he meant. Slowly Jamie started to nod his head and let out a relieved and slightly shaky sigh that made Jared reach over from his seat behind the wheel and hug his son.

" I love you" he muttered into the mop of strawberry brown hair on top of Jamie's head that was the perfect mix of Jared's chestnut brown and Jamie's soft dirty blonde. And it was just as unruly as Jared's which he had smiled at, at first, but when Jamie got older and they were supposed to go to grandma and grandpa they barely made it out to the car before the hair looked like he had run through a tornado even on the calmest of days. It always made Cheryl frown and point out to Jared that Jamie looked like he just gotten out of bed before she had to drag the small boy off to get one of the maids to tame his hair instead.

" I love you too, dad" Jamie answered, his voice tight and buried his head in Jared's shoulder and Jared stroked him over his back with one of his big hands, the other one cupping his neck.

They sat like that until Jamie had stopped crying. When Jamie pulled away he wiped away the last stray tears from his eyes and took a deep breath to collect himself again.

" Now, we gotta get you to school" Jared stated as he turned the key in the ignition, Jamie laughed a throaty laugh as he stared at the clock on his phone. They were probably really late. Again.

Jared drove Jamie to school and dropped him off with a handwritten note that Jamie was supposed to deliver to whatever teacher he'd missed class with. Before Jamie took off he hugged his dad again and whispered a soft goodbye and then he rushed to the school building and disappeared inside.

Jared watched as Jamie ran inside and when the doors banged shut behind him Jared sighed deeply and leaned back against the seat. He hated this, he hated Jamie crying and he hated being the reason as to why it happened. Jamie was as innocent and pure as snow, he would never harm a fly and of course, he wouldn't wanna disappoint either one of his fathers. To Jared that was obvious, he just didn't know exactly how much pain Jamie was put through with Jared's constantly expressing worries as if trying to guilt-trip him into staying in Camden and not see his father.

Jared sighed again, shaking the dark thoughts from his head before he once again started the car and drove off to work. Work that day went by relatively fast, of course, Genevieve would comment on him being late but when Jared explained about the situation with Jamie she shut her mouth and nodded sympathetically. Although she could rage on Jared without an ounce of pity or compassion in her petite body, she had always had a special place in her heart for Jamie. She had seen him grow up from when he'd been only four years and Genevieve had first started working at the Inn. 

After that she hadn't been all that hard on Jared for the rest of the day and Jared had even been able to leave 10 minutes earlier than usual to pick up Jamie from practice and together they drove home and ate some leftovers they found in the freezer on the couch while an old rerun of Friends on the TV. It had been a good night even though their morning had been kind of rocky.

After their rollercoaster Tuesday everything for the rest of week just went by in a speed up mode, suddenly Jamie was asking where the hell Jared had placed his hoodie that he definitely needed when he was going to his father. When Jared had answered he had no idea where it was, that had been the start of a rather aggressive and physical fight with Jamie running up the stairs to Jared's room while screaming that if Jared didn't find the hoodie then Jamie would make sure Jared didn't find his shoes in the morning.

That had led to Jared rushing after and trying to drag Jamie down the stairs with his arms wrapped around the teenager's waist. But Jamie was a football player and Jared was just a hotel manager so that had only led to Jared being the one getting picked up instead, but he had never stopped trying to defend his pride as Jamie dragged him down the stairs. After dragging Jared down the stairs Jamie made another attempt a rushing up to Jared's room for his revenge.

Although Jared had been forced to suffer through the humiliation of having to admit his son was the overlord while Jamie sat on top of him on the couch, grinning like a maniac it had been a good night. It had given the two of them some time to enjoy each other's company without the heavy tension wrapping itself around them like a straight jacket.

They were sitting on the couch Wednesday night eating takeout from the small Chinese place in town and watching a crappy movie when Jared breached the subject of how Jamie was supposed to get to his dad. During the earlier years, Jensen had made it clear that everytime Jamie would come visit him he would handle the traveling and Jared wouldn't need to worry. At all. Those words he'd been very firm on as if Jared didn't believe Jensen could take care of their son, it was often a thing Jensen felt the need to assert, his capability of taking care of Jamie.

" So" Jared began, mouth full as he turned his eyes from the TV and looked at his son still hooked on the movie. Jamie only hummed in answer never taking his eyes off the screen as he motioned with the hand not occupied holding his plate for Jared to keep talking. Jared swallowed down the last of his bite before putting down his plate on the coffee table. 

He turned himself on the sofa to face Jamie who didn't give any more attention then what he had to. Jared wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and coughed lightly to gain his son's attention.

" How are you supposed to go to your dad? Has he mentioned anything about the travel?" Jared asked, trying to go for casual, he didn't need Jamie to flip out about Jared and Jensen fighting about him. It wouldn't do anything for any of them.

Jamie finally moved his eyes from the TV to meet with his dad's, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders with a mumbled ' I dunno' which made Jared frown at him.

" But he must've told you how you're gonna get there, hasn't he?" Jared pried again and nudged against Jamie's leg with his left foot which only got him a dark look in return before Jamie sighed deeply and leaned back against the couch cushions.

" He told he'd call me tonight that's all I know. Now shut up so I can watch this family tear each other apart" when he said the last sentence Jared’s frown deepened as glee slipped into Jamie’s voice when he talked about the vicious family trying to literally tear each other apart, why they were even watching this was beyond Jared. 

" You sound awfully happy about a family of psychopaths killing each other" Jared acknowledged. His eyes narrowed suspiciously but Jamie just rolled his eyes, clearly tired of Jared still talking.

" It's a slasher film, am I not supposed to be happy about people killing each other?" he asked dead seriously and Jared was at first taken aback by the response, perhaps he should fear for his life at night from now on. Then he saw the evil glint in his sons eyes and the slow smirk started to creep up his lips and Jared shook his head in disappointment.

" You are a horrible child" he sighed making Jamie turn his face up and laugh, his eyes falling closed as his dimples cut through his cheeks while he laughed. Those dimples were the same as Jared's. Long cuts leaping through his cheeks whenever he smiled. It was with those dimples that Jared and Jamie had gotten away with everything when they had been only children. Jared had used the same trick as Jamie later used when he wanted something and Jared still cursed himself for not figuring out what he was doing earlier since that little boy had gotten away with too damn much over the years. 

Little gangster.

" Just eat up and shut that trap of yours" Jared grumbled out when it was clear he wasn't about to be taken serious and instead he moved his own plate back into his lap and let himself sink into the bloody movie still rolling while Jamie sat giggling beside him, having completely lost the interest in the movie once he'd started teasing Jared.

Once they'd eaten and carefully placed their plates on top of the still growing mountain of dirty dishes the two of them went upstairs to their separate bedroom.

Jared kept thinking about the next morning. He was worried about Jamie being away with his dad and his new girlfriend for the weekend. His mind was rolling his eyes at the repetitive thoughts going through his head. It was always the same way whenever Jamie left and sometimes Jared even felt guilty about it. He hated not trusting his son's other dad enough to let Jamie go without Jared worrying none stop until Jamie got back home again.

Jared tossed and turned that night, never finding it comfortable enough to let his worries go and sink into the calmness of sleep. He sighed heavily when he looked at the alarm clock on the small cabinet next to his bed. 1:56 AM. It was gonna be a long night…

*********************************

At least that's what he thought but when he opened his eyes again his alarm clock was blaring right in his ear making Jared groan loudly. He put his pillow over his head and turned his head away from the evil little machine still screaming at him like a madman.

Jared squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shut out the noise as he waited for the clock to stop ringing. After what felt like hours the noise died and silence filled his bedroom. Jared removed the pillow from his face and made himself comfortable again, a small voice, barely hearable whispered to him he couldn't forget about work but Jared ignored it and just pulled the comforter higher up until it was just past his nose.

But just as he was about to drift off to sleep again someone threw the door open and sprang up into his bed. The body of the intruder collided with Jared's still sleepy one and he had a fit of coughs as whoever had broken into his room rammed its knee right into his stomach.

" Wake up!" Someone yelled in his ear in there wasn't even a possibility to keep trying to fall asleep. Instead, he slowly opened up his eyes, just enough to see who was currently sitting on top of him.

Jamie.

" What are you doing?" Jared groaned out, his voice rough from sleeping and he felt even more tired just from watching his son sitting with a bright smile and no traces of sleep on his face. Jamie had always been a morning person. It wasn't that hard to guess from who he'd gotten that.

When Jared and Jensen had dated Jensen had always been an early riser and whenever he'd offered to give Jared a ride to school he'd called way too early and throughout the ride he would talk and laugh with a still  _ dead - to - the - world _ Jared even if Jared would've downed an entire batch of coffee.

" What does it look like, I sure as hell didn't come in here to cuddle you" Jamie fired back and Jared just grumbled out something incoherent in answer as he tried to shove his son away and down on to the hardwood floor. Jamie laughed at Jared's still sleep weak arms tried to push him away without succeeding.

Jared gave up after his second try and instead he just laid back and breathed heavily from trying and failing to shoving his son away from his sleep-sore body.

" Why are you trying to kill me" he fake - wheezing making Jamie grin down at him as he pressed more of his weight on top of Jared's stomach making him gasp for breath. " My God! You're heavy" he gasped out.

Jamie snickered and put his hands on his sides as if he was a superhero, but that was enough for Jamie to become distracted and gave Jared the possibility of finally succeeding in shoving him down from the bed. Jamie landed with a thud and an audible groan which made Jared look down at the lump of Jamie on the floor before he chuckled and got out of bed. There was no point in staying in bed since Jamie wouldn't leave him be if he didn't get up.

Jared stumbled down the stair in only a threadbare t-shirt with NIRVANA printed on it and a pair of grey sweatpants stained with white paint along the left side of the pants from when the two of them had tried to repaint an old bureau which now where shoved into the garage so they didn't have to see their failed attempt a painting.

As Jared entered the kitchen he heard quick footsteps down the stairs and just seconds later Jamie appeared, a dark look in his eyes as he held his left arm against his chest. Jared glanced at him before he nodded a greeting and turned to the coffeemaker filling it up with water.

" Ow!" Jamie suddenly said but Jared decided to ignore him, he didn't sound distressed or actually hurt so Jared knew he was only trying to gain his attention, probably just to say something mean and try to get another rise out of Jared.

" OW!" he said again, louder this time but Jared pointedly continued to ignore him, he started to hum under his breath as started making coffee for the two of them.

" Well okay then" he heard Jamie muttered and then he padded over the floor to the home phone hanging by the screen door that lead to the backyard.

Jare turned around and watched as Jamie pulled the phone from its hanging and punched in the 911 before he put the phone to his ear, his eyes staring daringly at Jared.

" Yeah hello? My daddy shoved me off the bed and I broke my arm" Jamie sobbed into the phone and suddenly Jared was in motion. Faster than lightning he was across the kitchen pulling out the cord connecting the phone to the wall.

" What the hell are you doing?" he screeched, which in turn made Jamie start to laugh. Jared breathed heavily as he put the phone cord back into the wall before he stood up again staring at Jamie as he pulled the hand away from his chest.

" That was so funny, you should've seen your face dad!" Jamie continued laughing and Jared was so close to whacking that boy over his head.

" You called the 911! How was that funny!?" Even to himself, Jared could hear the distressed tone and of course, he was distressed. Who knew the punishment he would get the police got here and Jamie just continued on with his awful charade.

Jamie managed to calm himself down enough to start talking about his hitches of laughter. " You really think I called 911 about you shoving me off the bed?" he asked and Jared pouted at him like a small child on the verge of crying.

" I dunno" he muttered, looking unsure but then his expression hardened and he stared darkly at Jamie before he pointed at him with an accusing finger. " For that, you're grounded" Jared stated with a confident smirk pulling on his lips but in return, Jamie just snorted out a laugh before he turned away to go continue making the coffee Jared had been busy doing before he'd been interrupted by his devil-son.

" What?" he asked, confused. Why was Jamie laughing at him this time? It seemed to be his son's favorite thing to do, laughing at his poor father while he stood confused and unknowing that he was the butt of the joke.

" I'm going to dad today, you're gonna tell him I'm grounded during my stay there too?" he asked, a smug look on his face and Jared cursed himself for not thinking. Instead he just he opened and closed his mouth a few times before he scoffed and walked out from the kitchen.

" Hey! You just gonna leave me here making  _ your  _ coffee?" Jamie yelled from the kitchen as Jared was on his way up the stairs to get changed for work but stopped when he heard his son yell.

" You called 911, this is your punishment!" Jared yelled back and when only silence met him he grinned before continuing up the stairs to get changed.

When Jared came into the kitchen once he'd gotten dressed Jamie was sitting at the table, a green mug in his hand and his phone in other. Jared sat down by the other mug and when Jamie looked up he raised the mug in question.

"  Oh yeah, all our mugs were gone so I was forced to wash some" he pointed at Jared. " So you totally owe me one for that," he said and Jared pursed his lips as he raised his eyebrows. Jamie shrugged his shoulders at Jared's sheepish look before he returned his attention to whatever exciting things were happening on his phone.

" You still called 911, I don't you anything for the coming 5... YEARS" he answered, satisfaction shining through his voice as he sipped on his coffee. Jamie snorted and shook his head but didn't say anything at first. Then he put his mug down and turned to look at a still content Jared sipping his coffee.

" You really think I'm that stupid I would've called 911. For real.?" he asked dubiously. Jared looked up at him and raised his eyebrows pointedly.

" You really want me to answer that?" he asked before he lifted his mug to his lips to hid the smug smirk but Jamie saw it before he could cover it up and he pushed out his lips before placing a hand over his heart as he'd been deeply hurt.

Jared laughed at his son's acting skills and Jamie no longer could hold up the facade any longer and he too started to smile even though it was evident he was trying not to.

The two of them finished their coffee with small talk about everything and nothing but as they were rinsing out their mugs Jamie's phone started ringing and he left his un-rinsed mug for Jared to take care off as he took his phone with him into the living room to answer.

Jared, being the good dad he was, rinsed out both their mugs before he dried them off and put them on the counter for later use since none of them had the energy to take care of the dish pile yet. Although with Jamie being home from school until he was supposed to go to his dad, which Jared still had no information about, he could perhaps bribe him into taking care of it but Jared had his doubts about bribery working on Jamie, it hadn't worked since he'd been 6 but it was worth a shot.

Before Jared could conduct a perfect plan to bribe Jamie into doing the dishes he heard his son rushing up the stairs only for a moment before he came back down again with a big duffle bag he usually had his football equipment in.

Jared only saw him for a second as he bounded past the kitchen doorway and out into the hallway by the door but before Jared got the words out to ask what was happening Jamie returned to the kitchen beaming with happiness.

Jared turned to his son, a soft but confused smile on his lips. " What's going on?" he asked and Jamie was just about to answer when the doorbell rang and Jamie was out of the kitchen like a shot and opening the door.

Jared could hear the excited hello from his son and shuffles that sounded like a hug, still confused and with the smile, on his lips, Jared followed his son out to the front door but stopped short when he saw who was currently hugging Jamie.

" Jensen"

Jensen lifted his gaze from Jamie's face and looked at him at Jared standing in the kitchen doorway. Jared could see a million different kinds of emotion wash over Jensen but no one stayed on his face.

Jared swallowed deeply and tried to give his ex a smile but he could only recall their fight from earlier that week. Jamie seemed oblivious to the tension between his fathers and stood to smile by Jensen who had a protective hand clamped around Jamie's shoulder.

" I didn't know you were coming to pick him up" Jared tried to keep his voice light and not bring too many emotions into it. He didn't want Jensen getting any ideas about Jared not wanting to let Jamie come with him and the two of them would start fighting right in front of Jamie.

Jensen clenched his jaws and was just about to answer but Jamie was quicker. " That could've been my fault," he said but he didn't seem that sorry for forgetting to mention that his father was supposed to come pick him up, without Jared's knowledge. Although Jared didn't wanna fight right now he couldn't help giving his son a stern look and it surprisingly made Jamie blush in shame as he turned his gaze to stare at the floor.

A silence filled the air and Jared could almost taste the tension between him and Jensen. There was always tension between them but it seems like the tension had expanded to like a million times worse and a small, vicious little voice - probably the one whispering to Jared in the morning that he had to get ready for work - told him it had something to do with Danneel suddenly being part of the equation that was their lives.

" Right" Jared coughed when the silence stretched into minutes and with a short glance at Jamie's way he saw that their son had picked up on it too.

" I'm gonna go grab the last of my stuff and then we can leave, dad," Jamie said and like his ass was on fire he was up the stairs, leaving Jared alone with Jensen. Damn it how much he wished he could be the one to go grab Jamie his things.

At first, they just to quiet with Jared staring at the floor and feeling the heavy gaze of Jensen on him. Jared was trying to distract himself from Jensen's gaze by fiddling with his long fingers but then he felt the need to address the situation between them.

" Are you still mad at me for what I said over the phone?" Jared lifted his eyes to meet with Jensen and he could feel his mouth go dry. Jensen's  eyes were as green as the forest on a spring day and Jared always said the eyes were what Jared loved the most about Jensen, of course, he only said that to tease him but there was something to it.

" No" Jensen answered shortly but his voice was dismissing and ice cold which spoke a different story but he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

" You know, all I ever do is try to protect our son from being hurt and that's all I wanted to make you understand" Jared tried and he could almost feel the atmosphere around Jensen tense with his body as it started to crackle with new fueled anger.

" You make it sound like I don't think about our son at all. You treat me like some ignorant, self-centered asshole. Don't you think I give a damn about our son, at all?" he asked, frustration leaking through his voice as he stared at Jared with stormy eyes.

Jared glanced at the stairs to make sure Jamie wasn't about to come barging down and hear what they were talking about. He returned his gaze to Jensen who stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his lips pursed into an angry grimace.

" You know I don't think of you like that, I have  _ never _ thought of you that way. I'm just expressing my concerns to you about Jamie. I know you love him as much as I do and that's why I'm trying to make you see that you need to be consequent about your actions because this is, as I've said before our child that we're talking about.  He doesn't see things as you or I do. I'm not saying you don't understand him, I'm just reminding you to go slow and not... get ahead of the situation. " Jared shrugged his shoulders softly trying to smooth over the rise of his voice. " That's all I'm trying to do" Jared stared into Jensen's eyes but the other man said nothing. His jaws were clenched tightly and his fist just as much.

" I put Jamie before anything else in my life, I always think of him whenever I do something that's going to affect him so don't say I don't care for my son because then you have it all wrong. Don't try to teach me how to take care of Jamie" Jensen slowly answered and Jared had to bite his tongue not to say what he really wanted. 

Where had Jensen been the first years of Jamie's life? Where had he been last month when it had been too busy for Jamie come to New York? Jared knew Jensen didn't think of those times. Jared thought it had something to do with him actually feeling embarrassed about not being that good at beinga father and leaving those times out was a way for him to forget them.

Jared knew if he ever said those things to Jamie he would have hell to pay and it would hurt Jamie more than it hurt him so instead Jared   just clamped up as Jamie rushed down the stairs with a small backpack in his hand.

" You done buddy?" Jensen asked, his voice lightly and his eyes averted from Jared to the still beaming Jamie. Jared turned to Jensen and studied the light expression on his face as he bit his bottom lip. He felt his heart sting a little, although he didn't want to know why. It was one of those things that got on the  _ 'Dangerous Things'  _ list that Jared had mentally made up in his head.

But if he was supposed to be honed with himself it actually hurt to think that it had been  _ years  _  since Jensen had ever looked at Jared with anything but cold, dead eyes and it was scratching away at his hearts, a small little scrape each time. Not that Jared would ever admit it out loud.

" Yeah, I'm done" Jamie breathed out, still smiling like this was the happiest day of his life. Jamie hadn't seen his dad in over a month so Jared supposed that was actually closer to the truth than Jamie would ever let on.

" Then we should probably hit the road, y'know we don't wanna be stuck in a car all day" Jensen smiled as Jamie nodded his head in agreement and pulled on his jacket with quick movements. Jared crossed his arms over his chest since he didn't know what else to do with his arms as he watched Jamie and Jensen from the doorway, his teeth still worrying his bottom lip.

When Jamie had zipped up his jacket and Jensen had picked up the heavy duffle bag Jamie turned towards Jared and crossed the short distance between them before he wrapped his arms around Jared. Jared closed his eyes and squeezed his son hard and before Jamie pulled away he kissed the top of his son's head. Jared breathed in the soft smell of his son's shampoo before he released him and took a step back again.

" Have fun and I'll see you on Sunday, okay?" Jared tried to smile but it felt fake even to him and if Jamie noticed it he decided not to tell him and instead just smiled back at him before giving a small wave and then turning back to dad and the front door.

Jensen opened the doors and Jamie walked out to the black Mercedes parked by the curb but before Jensen followed him out he turned and met Jared's eyes again.

" I'll bring him back by Sunday evening" he paused. " See you 'round Jared" and then he was gone and for the first time in a month Jared had the house to himself and it felt. Empty.

  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's been like 2 weeks since I last posted but I've been sick and really busy so I've not had the time to sit down and write but now I'm back and hopefully, I will stay back! Hope enjoy this chapter!

The house was a lot quieter with Jamie in New York, understandably. And it was actually grating on Jared's nerves to be left in the house by himself. It was a rare occasion that Jared had to eat by himself, watch TV by himself, do the dishes by himself - which he actually did to stop himself from thinking about Jamie all the way in New York. 

When Jared got back from work on Friday afternoon he let out a deep sigh when the door closed behind him. The house was as quiet as it had been when he'd left it in the morning. Jared dropped his bag on the floor and hung his coat on the rack before he went to the couch. With Jamie gone it hadn't been the easiest times to fall asleep and Jared felt dead on his feet.

As he let himself sink down into the soft cushions he closed his eyes, he wasn't supposed to be at his parent's house until seven so that gave him 3 hours to try to get some sleep. If his mother saw how he was acting she would scowl him for not taking better care of himself, and if he told her it was because Jamie was with his father in New York she would scowl him even more because he was depriving Jamie of a wonderful time with his father by trying to guilt - trip him.

Sometimes Jared was sure Cheryl stood more on Jensen's side than on his but he also knew that Cheryl loved Jamie just as much as him and was only trying to protect him from his 'selfish' parents, because that's what Jensen and Jared were in her eyes. If Cheryl Padalecki had it her way, Jamie would be staying with his grandparents instead of with his parents which both Jamie and Jared had made clear was never going to happen.

Not unless both Jensen and Jared were abducted by aliens. Jamie had been five when he'd said that and Jared had full-heartedly agreed with his son. Of course, Cheryl had thought the two of them were ridiculous, or well she at least thought Jared was ridiculous since he played along with it. But Jared had just grinned and said, there was no way of knowing if aliens were real or not and therefore no reason for Cheryl to call him ridiculous or childish for that matter.

Jared was about to be lulled into sleep by his own breathing when he felt his phone vibrate in his front pocket. Without opening his eyes he managed to fish the phone up and answer. He put the phone to his ear and grunted out a sleepy hello.

"  _ Why am I not surprise that you're already sleeping _ " the voice sounded amused and it made Jared smile at the familiarity of it, with eyes still closed.

" I miss my mischievous baby" he answered with a whine and heard Jamie snort out a laugh which made his already wide grin even wider.

"  _ Are you calling your seventeen-year-old son a baby, I was the one who carried you down the stairs two days ago, what kind of baby can do that? _ " Jamie sounded confident as he bragged about one of the many humiliating moments Jamie had put Jared through. 

" I do not recall you ever carrying me down any kind of stairs, clearly you're imagining things" Jared tsked with a smile as sat up straighter in the sofa to not drown among the hundreds of pillows Jamie had managed to convince Jared they needed. Although Jared had hated them from the very beginning he hadn't been able to get rid of them because everytime he tried Jamie had once again convinced him to let them stay and Jared's mind was too weak to resist his son's brainwashing powers.

"  _ That's because you were too busy screaming like a little girl _ " Jamie fired back with a laugh, very proud of himself by the sound of it. That damn kid.

" If I'm a little girl then you must be half a little girl since you're my son then, right?" he asked and silence filled the phone. Jared's smug grin graced his lips as he gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder for good work done.

"  _ Shuddup _ " Jamie grumbled out and Jared pumped a fist in the air in success although Jamie couldn't see him.

" I'm sorry honey" Jared mocked and he swore he could hear Jamie almost growl at him. " So how's New York?" Jared changed the subject to not upset his son even more than he already was because Jared wasn't stupid enough to believe that Jamie would forget it when he got back from New York.

" _ Why the change of subject? Scared I'm gonna beat you up when I get home? _ " Jared could hear the smirk in his voice but before he could deny the accusation Jamie himself decided the change of subject was worth it.

"  _ It's good. Dad and I went to dinner last night with Danneel at some restaurant that apparently was one of her favorite ones in the entire city _ " For once Jared was happy Jamie wasn't with him. Jared soft smile fell away a little as he listened to Jamie talking about their night out. Of course, Jared should be happy that Jamie was willing to talk so lightly about the dinner but just hearing that apparently Jamie liked Danneel enough to use her name since he'd always had a bad habit of addressing persons he didn't like 'that guy', 'that women' or 'that man'  and if Jamie called you by your name, you were okay in his book.

Jared had desperately tried to get Jamie to lose that extremely rude behavior but Jamie would just shrug his shoulders and say that it was his way of politely telling someone that he didn't like him and it was far better than what he really liked to say to them. Jared hated it when he did that and he actually had no idea where Jamie had learned to do that since Jared knew it wasn't from his parents, that’s for sure. 

" Really? Was it as good as she said then?" Jared asked, actually curious since he knew Jensen would never take his son to the diners like the ones Jared and Jamie used to spend their time at and Jamie would often shrug his nose when his grandparents offered him something that probably cost more than Jared and Jamie's entire house. It was just something about it costing a ridiculous amount of money that made Jamie think it tasted too weird for his taste.

" _ It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't as good as Amell's, that's for certain _ " and that made Jared smile. In Jamie's opinion, it was a tie between the sushi place just a block away that Jared had never bothered to learn its name and Amell's Diner about who had the best food in the entire world.

" That's good, I'm sure Stephen would be heartbroken if he heard you'd given up his food for some pretentious food in New York City" Jamie let out a laugh at that, he sounded happy and although Jared had a mean little voice in his head that wasn't all that happy Jamie was in New York. Why? Well, he was worried about his son, that was all it was. All of it.

"  _ Yeah _ " Jamie drawled out, " _ that's not gonna happen _ " Jared smiled at Jamie's comment. It was nice talking to Jamie although he had just left the day before it felt like he'd hadn't been home for almost a week. It was strange having the house empty, the only times the house had been empty the last couple weeks had been when Jamie had been in school and Jared at work, but now, Jared was home alone and it was killing him. 

" Stephen will be so relieved to hear that" Jared answered and Jamie let out a relieved sigh.

"  _ Good, didn't want him spitting in my food just because I prefer upper-class snobby steaks _ " Jared could hear the disgust in Jamie's voice and could only imagine the grimace he was making at the thought of it, not that Jared could keep himself from making the same face.

" Who raised you to be such a nasty little boy?" Jared asked and Jamie huffed out a laugh. He knew he was leaving himself bare to be teased and although Jared hated their daily teasing, mostly because Jamie somehow always got the upper hand, that's what you get with a dad whose job is to basically take action in pressing situations. Not one of Jared's best qualities. But truth to be told, Jared had already started to miss their teasing, it was something familiar and just between the two of them. It quelled the uneasy feeling Jared had in the pit of his stomach.

"  _ I think it was you, I mean, have you ever seen yourself eat? It's nasty and disgusting. And how was I even suppose to learn about people spitting in each other's food unless you told me about the time YOU spit in Chad's food as revenge for something probably really stupid that I don't even remember _ " Jared remained silent a long time after Jamie's little deduction and when it had probably passed thirty seconds of silence Jamie began laughing.

Jared had forgotten he'd ever told Jamie about the time he'd spit Chad's food. They had been in their early twenties and Jamie had only been a toddler, one time when Jamie had been put down to nap and Chad had, while Jared put Jamie down, offered to make the two of them some lunch. Why Jared had ever agreed to leave Chad alone in the kitchen he couldn't til this day figure out. When Jared came down there had been two sandwiches for the two of them. Chad had handed over one of the plates to Jared and the two of them had retreated to the living room to watch TV while they ate. 

There had been something seriously wrong with Jared's sub, that much he'd known when he'd felt the first crunch of something inside it when he took a bite. Chad had, of course, pretended to ignore what was happening right next to him and it wasn't until Jared was halfway done with it that he'd told him what that extra crunchy pieces had been. 

Cockroaches. 

Man, had Jared been pissed at him, he had thrown him out with his head first onto the porch outside and screamed at him that if he ever showed his face on his property again Jared would shoot him. No kidding. 

Chad had disappeared laughing his ass off and Jared had been left trying to hurl up the cockroaches. It had been the most disgusting thing Jared had ever been through, and he'd gotten his revenge when weeks later he'd spit in Chad's food, repeatedly. It was pretty tame, in both Jared and Chad's opinion but Jared had decided that his revenge would be spread out over years to come when Chad wouldn’t even suspect it

" That might be true" Jared agreed grinning, it had been a long time since Jared had thought about the cockroach incidence and with that Jared thought that perhaps it was time to place something new and extra spicy in Chad's food this weekend if he could get Stephen to help him since Amell’s Diner was just as much Chad’s favorite place as Jamies.

"  _ Hey I gotta go, dad's calling for me, we're gonna go to the Planetarium with Danneel _ " Jared nodded his head even though Jamie couldn't see him. Judging by Jamie's tone it didn't sound like he dreaded having to spend more time with Danneels so Jared was pretty sure the woman wasn't horrible. Not that he'd ever thought that about her before. He could hear Jamie calling for him over the phone and Jared realized he zoned out from the conversation.

He shook his head and came back to himself sitting on the couch in the empty house. Damn, he sounded pathetic.

" Yeah, I'm back. Sorry" he apologized. " You go have fun, I'll call you tonight when I get home from grandma and grandpa," Jared said and he could hear Jamie trying to fight back the mocking laugh that was about to escape. 

"  _ That's right you're going to grandma and grandpa tonight, well have fun _ " the mocking tone made Jared grit his teeth but he couldn't deny it was good talking to Jamie, even if he spent the time mocking and teasing him. It showed Jared that Jamie was okay, that whatever was happening in New York wasn't as bad as Jared had feared it would be when he'd said goodbye to Jamie.

" Yeah, yeah" Jared muttered in response before the two of them said goodbye and Jared promised he'd call later that night once more before they ended the call.

Jared sat back on the couch, the phone laying on the coffee table next to him. He could hear his belly start to rumble and dreaded eating whatever five  _ million  _ dollar dish his mother would serve as dinner. The portions were always too small and Jared was sure he could've eaten at least ten more of those small portions and his mother expected him to be full by eating just one. It was ridiculous, in Jared's opinion and he knew his father was right behind him on that one. It was just that Walter Padalecki would avoid at all cost fighting with the scary woman named Cheryl. 

When Jared had been little, Walter had told Jared to tread extremely carefully whenever his mother would start waving her arms around as moved around the house faster than Jared had ever seen her move. His father used to say it was the build-up until the storm hit its peak and the best thing to do was to seek cover wait for the entire thing to be over.

Jared rose from the couch with a determined expression, he would not sit and endure another dinner was he would still go home hungry, even if his mother said it was only him being dramatic and craving sugar so much that'd he believed he was still hungry. When she said it for the first time Jared had been stoked, he looked at her with his head tilted and narrowed eyes. Still, to this day he couldn't understand his mother's logic but he'd learned to just live with it. 

Jared knew if his mother ever found out what Jared was planning to do before he'd go to dinner at their place she would most likely never serve him food ever again, not even the delicious cookies she used to make whenever Jared had been good in school. It was the one thing Cheryl did by herself and didn't let the chef make. If Jared lost the privileges of having those exceptional cookies he would probably go into withdrawal and die. That's why his mother was never to learn of Jared's mischievous ways.

With a plan formed in his head, Jared went upstairs to choose an outfit his mother would let him wear to dinner, it had happened before that Cheryl had picked out something from his father's wardrobe when she wasn't approving of whatever Jared had been wearing to the official Padalecki Dinner. It had been both humiliating and rather embarrassing still having his mother tell him what to wear and Jared had never done the mistake of coming to dinner wearing jeans and a button down ever again. 

With a last look at his phone to confirm he wouldn't have to rush to his parent's house and earn a disapproving look from his mother. It was harder keeping track of time when he didn't have Jamie yelling for him to hurry it up since he too needed to shower. Instead, Jared was forced to check the time every fifth minute since he definitely didn't believe his own sense of time, ever. 

After he was done showering, under less than 10 minutes he might add and with a small smile, he thought of how proud Jamie would've been with Jared's achievement of for probably the first time not being in the shower for over twenty or thirty minutes. 

With Jamie gone, he was a changed man. That would probably make Jamie growl in answer if Jared ever accused Jamie of being the reason why Jared was always too damn slow. Jared snorted and shook his head as he walked from the bathroom, letting the steam out like a fog that curled around his upper body, still dripping from the shower. Droplets of waters, almost like pearls ran over his still slightly toned body before they lost their grip and fell to the hardwood floor creating deadly pools of water Jared had no intentions of stepping in because if he were to fall and hit his head and then die, no one would find his body, his  _ naked  _ body, until either Chad decided Jared was good enough company or Jamie coming home from his father. And that wasn’t something he longed for to happen. At all.

He dried off his body and put on the clothes he'd lazily thrown on the still unmade bed.  A pair of khakis, a white button-down, and a dark blue blazer. It was as dressed up as Jared was willing to go and his mother, under great reluctance accepted it and considered it wearable.

He buttoned up the top button of his blazer before he gathered his wallet and phone from the nightstand and went downstairs. His hair was still wet and curled around his ears, tickling his earlobes when he moved his head. But his wet hair was of no concern as Jared just plucked a grey beanie from the dresser by the front door where Jamie and Jared kept most of their outwear clothes like gloves - most of them with holes that made their fingers stick out and probably make them look like they were homeless - most of Jamie's baseball caps were shoved into one of the drawers in the dresser and another drawer was filled to the brim with all of their beanies, because Jamie and Jared? They had a lot of beanies. 

It was like a souvenir thing, whenever they went somewhere the found a new type of beanie, most of them were ugly as hell but even though the two of them could barely look at some of them without making a disgusted face, they were still forced to buy more. Perhaps it wasn't a sweet tradition anymore but more of a compulsive disorder. 

Jared pulled on his jacket and turned off the light before he left the house to start his new mission, getting food before the grand dinner. 

And that food was gonna be Amell's greasy burgers. As Jared drove to his destination he swore he could hear his stomach make satisfied rumbles, it seemed to be as happy as Jared about getting a good burger before they were forced to eat something that was probably on the verge of being props, not real food. That's what it looked like anyway.

Jared pulled over by Amell's Diner and went inside. It was just a little after 6 and the place had its usual crowds consisting of parents too lazy to make dinner on a Friday night, high school kids on dates or with their friends enjoying the first hours of the weekend. Jared's eyes scanned the crowds in the small diner and his hazel ones met Stephen as he stood behind the counter like he usually did.

When he saw Jared he smiled and waved at him. Jared went over and sat down by the counter, not even bothering to look through the menu before ordering, he only had one mission and one mission only.

" Your greasiest burger, please" he ordered and smiled cheekily at Stephen who returned it with a fond one of his own before he wrote it down on a small notepad he pulled from the back pocket of his washed out jeans.

Stephen turned away and ripped the small paper from the notepad before he left it by the pickup counter for one of the chefs to see it. 

" So... " Stephen began and did a once over, his eyes moving over Jared's body, taking in his rather unusual appearance. " Something special happening tonight?" he asked and Jared rolled his eyes and shook his head, feeling the still wet tips of his hair tickle the nape of his neck under the grey beanie.

" No, I'm going to my parent's house for dinner" he shrugged his shoulders helplessly and exhaled a loud breath. " it's like a tradition that we do every Friday" he explained and Stephen crossed his arms over his chest as he kept his eyes locked on Jared. That fond smile still tugging on his lips, making small crinkles form in the corners of his eyes. But they didn't make him look old,  it made him look.... nice. That was the only word Jared allowed his brain to think, there was a clear warning line drawn in front of him and Jared had no intentions of stepping over it.

" And that's why you're here ordering a big ass burger for yourself" Stephen answered, his voice dripping with sarcasm which in turn made Jared grin wolfishly at Stephen who only shook his head again, smile still intact. That man never seemed to stop smiling and that too was... nice. 

A while later, after Stephen had made his round, asking about refills and desserts he made his way to the pickup counter to deliver the greasiest and probably most delicious burger Jared had ever seen. And Jared had seen a lot of them. 

" Here you go, hope it lives up to your expectations" Stephen placed the burger in front of Jared and Jared could almost feel himself drooling at the sight. The soft bun perfectly roasted, the beef gleaming with grease and the melted cheese running down its side. The dressing shining brightly against the perfect frying surface of the burger. 

" It's perfect" Jared stared at the burger hungrily, barely sparing Stephen a look but he didn't seem to mind and instead he just let out a booming laugh that probably made the other patrons look up at him.

" Well while you enjoy your perfect burger, I'm gonna go make some rounds again" Jared was unable to answer what Stephen had said, he'd already taken his first bite of the heavenly creation that was his burger. If Jamie saw him right now he'd probably huff out a laugh and tell Jared to get a room. With the burger. Such an immature child.

Jared ate the entire burger in under, what he was sure was five minutes and when Stephen returned his eyes widened in surprise at seeing the empty plate in front of Jared.

" Gone" Jared held up his hands in an innocent gesture, mouth still full from his final bite. He swallowed it down and smiled proudly of himself.  " Give me some credit, I mean, I finished off the entire burger in no - time" he bragged with a cheesy grin. 

" That's true, so I guess I have to give you some credits, I'm just a little worried you're gonna die from a sudden heart attack or something" Jared waved the worry away with his still greasy hand.

" I've finished off way worse things than that and my heart is still fine" Jared continued his bragging with a smile on his face like he was truly proud of managing to swallow down more crap than what that burger contained and patted over his heart with his hand like his heart was a true champion. When Jared met Stephen's eyes again he could see there were actually some kind of concern for him in those deep pools of blue and Jared closed his mouth rather fast after that realization.

" That's good to hear" Stephen snarked and rolled his eyes at Jared as he wiped his hand on the cloth slung over his shoulder. Jared shrugged his shoulders in a half-assed apology.

" If you have something to say about my diet, do it now or remain silent forever," Jared said which made Stephen bark out a laugh. His eyes crinkled again and Jared couldn't keep his own smile from forming. It was a nice laugh he had there, Jared thought but pushed that thought away fast enough.

" Maybe I should show you something more healthy things to eat so you get your eyes up for things that will  _ not _ kill you" Stephen answered, his voice a low rumble in the diner and then it was Jared's turn to roll his eyes. A more healthy way of eating, was that even possible, in his opinion it wasn't.

" You know, what is healthy food even? Is it a dry salad or some rubbery steak made from soybeans that'll probably take years to chew?" Jared leaned closer over the counter, with a dramatic inhale. " Is that really what you want me to eat!?" he asked and stared into the deep pools of Stephen's very blue eyes. 

They were silent for probably an entire minute, they were close enough for Jared to smell the sweet smell of Stephen, although he spent his entire days inside a diner he didn't smell like frying oil or grease. It was actually something Jared had thought about before, how was it even possible _ not _ to smell like frying oil after fourteen hours locked inside a diner. 

" Jamie was right, you're really are a drama queen, alright" Stephen huffed and Jared frowned and sat back on the barstool with an offended expression.

" So now you're agreeing with my fourteen-year-old son?" Jared turned his head away as if dismissing this horrendous behavior from Stephen. When Jared glanced back at Stephen he mumbled something under his breath and looked slightly confused before he looked up at Jared again.

" Are you having a stroke or something?" he asked and Jared was taken aback, his mouth fell open as he looked at the still waiting for Stephen who only stared back at him, expecting an answer.

" Why the hell would I have a stroke, is this something to do with that nag about eating healthier?" Stephen smiled again at his question as if he thought Jared was joking, which he most certainly did not. The entire discussion about eating healthy was a whole bunch of crap in Jared's opinion.

" Well you did just call your  _ seventeen-year-old  _ son a fourteen-year-old, so if you don't mind me asking again, are you having a stroke?" he asked again. Jared shook his head and reached over to pat Stephen on his cheek.

" You're adorable you know" Jared stated and it made Stephen huff as he watched Jared. " and Jamie is indeed a fourteen-year-old, he acts like that anyway, so then he is called a fourteen-year-old too" Jared explained. If Jamie was with him right now he would've smacked him in the back of his head.

" You're really something different, you know that?" Stephen asked after a moment, a small smile still dancing over his slightly chapped lips.  Jared shrugged his shoulders again and he could feel a smile forming on his face. It was really hard not smiling in Stephen's company.

" Well, that goes for you to" Jared answered and Stephen's smile grew bigger. Jared didn't know if what Stephen had said was meant as a  compliment or not and he grinned as he said; " That goes for the same way as what you meant by it" Jared clarified and Stephen turned his head away from Jared and smiled at the counter before he looked up at Jared again. His eyes were glittering in the soft light in the diner, they were very different from Jensen's green eyes or his own hazel ones.

Stephen's eyes were a cold icy blue, they were like the sky a cold winter day and Jared very much liked those eyes, especially when the crinkled in the corners whenever he smiled or laughed.

Jared stole a look at the watch hanging on the wall and sighed deeply as he got up from his seat. " I gotta get going, I don't wanna face my mother's rage if I'm not on time" Jared made a face that made Stephen grin again as he pulled up his wallet from his coat pocket and placed a few bills on the counter next to his empty plate. 

But before he could pull his hand away from the green bills Stephen stopped him and pushed the money back to Jared who only gave him a confused look.

" Keep it, see it as me buying you a last meal since I'm still pretty sure you're gonna die from a heart attack with all that crap you're eating" he explained and Jared grinned at him as he pocketed the money again.

" Thanks for that," he said and Stephen just waved it away. " I'll see you 'round Stephen" with a smile he turned around and walked back to the door but before he opened it he turned around again and met Stephen's eyes still watching him.

" And hey! If I'm not dead by morning, maybe I'll order some strawberry milkshake for breakfast" he smirked as Stephen grimaced but he could tell Stephen was still grinning.

" Maybe I'll throw in some salad for you instead of those beloved strawberries!" he fired back and Jared whistled as he leaned against the door. He didn't really think about the other patrons currently taking up the diner and probably was watching what was exchanged between Jared and Stephen.

" Oooh, you're bad" he moaned and when Stephen couldn't keep himself from laughing Jared waved his goodbyes to Stephen before he pulled the door opened and walked outside heading for the jeep. Time to face the Padaleckis.

  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

When Jared arrived at his parent's house he had to strain himself to not make a face when he pulled up next to the giant ass house, or mansion, that was his childhood home. 

He pulled the key from the ignition and took a last look at himself in the rearview mirror, he had pulled the beanie from his head when he'd gotten into the jeep back in Camden to at least let it air dry somewhat before he would arrive at his parents house and have his mother scowl at him because he didn't look appropriate for the occasion.

He felt his phone vibrate and pulled his eyes away from his own reflection to look down at his phone. It was a text from Jamie wishing him good luck on his dinner with grandma and grandpa, Jared made a face at his cocky son and sent back a skull emoji before he opened the door and left the safety of the car. It was, even more, horrible doing this without Jamie and it sucked that he'd be stuck at this place all alone to face the circus by himself.

He pressed his fingers against the doorbell and steeled himself for what was to come. After only a few seconds the wooden door was opened and revealed his mother's smiling face. Her eyes traveled over Jared's attire before she pulled the door open even more to let Jared inside.

" On the time and in appropriate clothes. Very good" she nodded her head approvingly and Jared held out his arms and made a little spin inside the foyer to show off his clothes.

" I know. I'm that good" he answered with a cocky smile but his mother just flipped him off with her hand and then suddenly there was a young Mexican girl coming up beside him and offered to take his coat. Jared stared down at the woman, she was probably half his size and petite like a flower. She was dressed in a black dress with a white apron neatly tied around her waist. The Mexican woman was a maid Jared had never seen and that happened a lot. Cheryl had big difficulties keeping a maid in her household for longer than a couple months. The only one who'd been in Cheryl's service for more than a year was the chef and that only had to do with Cheryl being too afraid the next one wasn't as capable cooking a roast like Sergio was. 

Jared left his coat with the woman who only nodded her head and disappeared away while Jared turned his eyes to look at his mother gesturing for him to follow her.

" Your father should be done about now, he's been sitting locked up in his office all day and I've barely seen him" Cheryl let out a frustrated sigh as she led Jared into the living room. The house hadn't changed much since Jared had lived here. Cheryl had always had a very distinct sense of fashion and liked the old antic decor but she had never really agreed with the dark colour scheme of the old times. She liked her home to be bright and inviting. To the old oak table in the dining room, she had placed the original chairs to the set but dressed in light velvet.

In the foyer by the door, there was a perfectly polished - almost shining - antic armor which Jared had always loved. When he'd been a little kid he had loved to pretend the armor was actually a living knight that was supposed to protect him from his evil mom-dragon. When Cheryl had found out that Jared pictured her like a dragon in his imagination she had been less than pleased. It was still a pretty funny memory but Jared doubted his mother would feel the same.

" What's he doing up there?" Jared nodded towards the second floor and his mother shrugged her shoulder and waved it away with her hand while making an annoyed face.

" God know what your father gets up to in there" she muttered and her answer made Jared grin in return but thankfully his mother didn't see him. Cheryl walked over to the couch and sat down with a heavy sigh. Jared followed her example and sat down across from her. 

" I barely see your father anymore, if he's not locked up inside his office he's on the golf course or taking care of his cars in the garage" Cheryl sighed in annoyment again. She was looking down at her neatly pressed pen-skirt, her fingers moving over the material to brush off some invisible dust from the dark skirt. " And I'm always busy with the ladies, you know how it is, tea parties, book clubs, brunches. Sometimes I don't see him until the night falls. It's very frustrating" her hazel eyes turned up to meet Jared and he could see the beginning of the infamous frustration wrinkles his mother always got when something was bothering her.

" Maybe you should find something the two of you could do together since I know you have no interest in going to the club to play golf-" his mother made a face that pulled a grin from Jared's lips. Cheryl had always despised golfing and Jared could still remember when he'd been a kid and his father had managed to convince the whole family to go golfing. It had been the worst idea Walter had ever had, Cheryl used to say and Jared would always laugh at that.

The entire golfing day had not gone as Walter had planned. Cheryl had managed to lose two clubs in one of the ponds and time and time again Jared had feared for his father's life as he stood inside Cheryl's swinging zone especially when she started to get frustrated and the swinging turned harder, more dangerous and much closer to Walter's face.

The entire golfing day had ended with Cheryl taking a bored Jared to the restaurant instead and letting Walter finish the round by himself, which Walter, in the end, had no objections against, and neither had Jared after the promise of the largest ice cream they could find if he stopped making grabby hands after the terrified fishes in a pond as a way to entertain himself.

Although it had ended in a fiasco, Jared was still pretty fond of that memory, it was a rare moment when the three of them actually spent some family time together, like any other family and not as the upstanding Padalecki Family with money sprouting out from their asses. 

" -And I don't think dad would be that interested in sitting for hours gossiping about everything, it can leave a man with some serious PTSD, I know" Jared explained with a shudder going through his body. Cheryl's face hardened and she glared at Jared warningly which made Jared grin again before he continued on. " All I'm saying is that you should find some common ground, something the two of you can do together so you get to spend some time just the two of you with no distractions"

Cheryl hummed in an answer and her gaze fell on something behind Jared as she thought about what he'd said. Jared had to admit he was pretty proud of himself for his conclusion, maybe he should've become a couple-therapist instead of a hotel owner. Jared spread out his arms over the backrest on the creamy white sofa with a proud look on his face but his mother wasn't even looking at him.

They sat in silence for a moment until they were interrupted when the young Mexican woman came into the living room, her hands behind her back and her posture was straight to perfection. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Padalecki, Mr. Padalecki is done in his study, should the meal be brought out now?" Jared raised his eyebrows in surprise as he watched the woman, she talked to his mother like she was the queen of England, which Jared wasn't that far of in his mother's opinion.

" Yes, thank you, Esmeralda, we'll be there shortly" Cheryl answered, her voice shining with power and her head was held high as she talked to the maid. Esmeralda only nodded in return and left the room on quiet feet. Cheryl straightened herself and got up from the couch but Jared didn't get up, he only stared at his mother in astonishment. When Cheryl turned around and met Jared's own hazel eyes she let out an irritated breath and she seemed to compose herself to face whatever Jared had to say.

" Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked and Jared gave her an angelic smile as he got up from the couch and walked over to her. Cheryl was watching him with hawkeyes, her arms crossed over her beige - probably ironed to perfection - blouse as she waited for Jared to talk.

" It's just funny, seeing how much you enjoy being treated like a royalty" he shrugged his shoulders in feigned innocence. Cheryl's eyes narrowed but instead, she just turned her head away from Jared and continued walking from the living room, only calling over her shoulder for Jared to hurry up.

Jared walked through the living room and into the foyer connecting the living room with the ridiculous large dining room. The room could probably fit at least thirty people and Jared had asked time and time again why in the hell they needed to eat in the dining room and not around a normal sized table like a normal family. That question only earned him a scowl from his mother and a look of warning from his father to not provoke his mother.

So Jared had just had to accept them sitting in the dining room, screaming at each other to be heard from one end of the table to the other, and Jared was not exaggerating. Not even the least, no matter what his mother would tell him.

Walter Padalecki was already seated by the head of the table, his glasses still perched on his nose and his eyes were skimming over the newspaper he had in front of him. When he heard the loud clicking of Cheryl's high heels he looked up from his newspaper and over the rim off his glasses.

" Jared!" Walter exclaimed and rose from his seat once he saw Jared coming through the door. Jared strode over and shook his dad's hand in greeting. Walter Padalecki had never been one to show affection, but the way he talked, the tone of his voice, the way he would look at you could tell you more than any affectionate pat could. 

" How are you?" Walter asked as he sat down again, Jared followed his example and sat down in the chair to the right of his father's side. Cheryl said something about making sure Esmeralda had everything under control and then she was gone, leaving the sound of her heels to echo through the mansion in her trail.

" I've been good. Jamie's with Jensen this weekend so it has just 

 been me and the house" Walter nodded as Jared talked and Jared was sure he could see his father's eyes light up when Jared mentioned Jensen and Jared cursed himself for not keeping his mouth shut and his father for even listening to what Jared had to say. He really didn't wanna talk about his ex. It was a too common occurrence that happened at the Padalecki household and Jared hated it. But if he ever voiced that to either of his parents it would just add gas to their already hot fire of curiosity. 

" That's good, I'm happy Jamie got to spend some time with Jensen since I know how busy he's been," Walter said while removing his glasses and placed them in his chest pocket of his suit. Jared snorted and shook his head while staring down at the white tablecloth below his fidgeting hands. Frustration colored his face as he stared down. 

" Seems like everybody knows that" he grumbled under his breath but it was loud enough for his father to hear, Jared discovered when his father turned surprised eyes towards him, Jared looked up and gave him what was supposed to look like a smile.

" Are you just as much for gossip as mom or what?" Jared asked jokingly to divert his father's attention from what he'd said. Walter frowned and studied Jared with his calculating grey eyes. Jared tried to play it off with an easy smile but his father, just like his mother had a tendency to see through him. Jared didn't know if it was some special power his parents had or if he was just that easy to read, like an open book.

The diversion seemed to work and Walter blinked away whatever light had been in his eyes and he just huffed as he leaned back in his chair and shook his head in exasperation.

" Your mother's obsession for gossips is not something I share. I find it quite ridiculous of all those women to sit and  _ beam _ about who has left who and what he or she has done. I don't care for such things" he made a face and brushed a hand down his shoulder as if to brush off whatever those women could've planted on him.  " I am a man of facts and thrusts" he nodded his head once, firmly. Set in his opinions and Jared smiled in amusement at the way his father had spoken about Cheryl and her  _ ladies. _

Jared didn't have time to answer before Cheryl came back with two women in tow, one of them being Esmeralda from before. The two women were carrying plates of food and as the plates were placed in front of Jared he thanked God for going to Amell's before coming here. Just like always, the portions were too small to even be considered a main course and not just some appetizers. Jared moved his eyes from his plate to stare at his father.

Walter looked just as disappointed as Jared felt but he was quick enough to hide it under a mask of contentment as he raised his eyes to silently thank the women with a small nod that almost looked like he was nauseous which made Jared snort out a laugh.

His father turned sharp eyes towards Jared and the warning was clear in his eyes. If Jared said anything about the dish he was gonna get in big trouble even though he was all grown up and living in his own house the warning didn't stop from the shivers to run down his back. Jared nodded his head in understanding and raised the wine glass his mother had poured for him to hide his smirk from his parents. 

Cheryl sat down across from Jared on Walter's left side and straightened out her skirt once more before picking up the linen napkin and placing it on her lap.

" Feel free to start," Cheryl said with a gracious wave of her hand. Jared nodded his head and picked up his silver fork slowly poking at what was probably supposed to be meat. It had what looked like a small leaf placed on the grilled surface but the whole thing had a very off brown color that made Jared doubt it was even real meat, maybe some of those soybeans Stephen tried to get him to eat. 

Stephen would probably nod his head approvingly and praise Cheryl for preventing Jared from dying of a heart attack, which Jared still didn't believe was gonna happen.

" Sergio made something a little bit different today" Cheryl began and Jared rolled his eyes as and looked down at the offending meal on his plate.

" You don't say" he mumbled to himself but if his mother heard him, she decided to ignore him. And instead turned her entire attention to Walter trying out the small salad next to the meat. It looked arty enough to belong in a museum and Jared groaned inwardly at the whole dinner. How he could kill to just look at a greasy hamburger once more before this, whatever he was currently putting in his mouth, drowned him a grease-less pit of darkness.

" But I must say, that man really knows he's cocking" Jared looked up at his mother's satisfied eyes as she cut a small piece of the weird looking meat. He was pretty sure Sergio was Cheryl's all-time favorite staff. Sergio was a neat looking man with dark hair and even darker eyes, his skin was tanned like he spent his days on a sunny beach in California and not in rainy, and unreasonably cold Maine. His family were from Spain and had moved to the US sometime after World War II had ended. With genes like that it really was no surprise why Sergio looked the way he did. Not that Jared had ever felt attracted to the man. He was simply jealous of not being able to look the least bit exotic and tanned. He was as pale as a fall day in Maine. 

" So how's Jamie in New York?" his mother asked after a long time of silence. Jared took a sip from his wine to wash down the aftertaste of whatever he'd just eaten. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his seat before he answered his mother's question.

" He's good" he nodded his head along with his words, hands clenching together as his elbows rested on the table but his mother didn't seem to notice his table manners for the moment which was something she always did. " I talked to him this afternoon and the two of them had gone out for dinner with Jensen's new girlfriend, Danneel" he paused and tried to smile for his parents. His dad didn't seem to notice Jared's strained words and nodded his head approvingly with a proud smile. Cheryl had put down her own utensils and that calculating look she had whenever she was trying to read him, flashed in her eyes and Jared felt his shoulders tensing.

" And today they were supposed to go to Planetarium" Jared quickly added to move the conversation along and not let his mother get the chance to start asking questions. Cheryl seemed to be either oblivious to Jared's sudden change of subject or she let him be. Cheryl liked to avoid confrontations, especially at the holy Friday night dinners. It was like church for Cheryl and nothing was going to ruin it.

" How nice for them, it's a good thing Jamie got to spend some time with Jensen," Cheryl said with a smile and Walter nodded his head in agreement. Jared agreed with his parents and nodded along with his dad. Earlier that afternoon Jamie had seemed happy and very excited to get to spend some time with his father, even if Danneel seemed to be with them. And the most important thing for Jared was that Jamie felt happy and fully comfortable with his father.

The rest of the dinner went in the usual manner. His mother's uncontained excitement for whatever had happened in their secluded area of filthy rich people like Jared's parents. His dad talking about work and the two of them joking with each other. Jared getting scolded at least three times and when he said something rather inappropriate he was almost banned from the table, that warning he'd been given twice. 

When it was nearing 9 pm Jared decided it was time to drive back home. His mother had hugged him and ordered him to make sure Jamie called him on Sunday so she could personally find out what he'd been up to in New York with Jensen. His dad had shaken his hand and smiled at him before telling him to drive safely home. 

All in all, it had been a rather successful dinner at the Padalecki household, not too much drama and they had called it a night on good terms which were kind off a rarity.

But still, as Jared got in the car parked outside the house he could still hear his parents talking about how good it was for Jamie to spend some time with his father, not that Jared disagreed with that. It  _ was _ good for Jamie to spend time with his  **father** and it seemed like Jared was the only one worried about the whole 'Jensen being gone for almost a month only to show up again with a girlfriend in tow' situation currently taking place.

Maybe Jared was just being overprotective he thought as he could hear his both his mother and father's excitement about Jamie going to New York to see Jensen. In their minds, there was no doubt about it being good for Jamie to go see his dad. But then again, they hadn't seen Jamie that vulnerable before.

Jamie tried to keep a stoic face whenever he was around anybody else and it was only with Jared that Jaime felt he could let the entire facade fall and just cry in his arms if he needed to. Then his thoughts went to what Jensen had said in the phone during their fight. To Jensen, it sounded like he thought Jared had been feeding his own insecurities about New York to Jamie in an effort to try and stop him from seeing Jensen. Maybe he was right. Maybe Jared was the only one at fault here. Maybe he  _ had _ , in fact, tried to manipulate Jamie into not going to see his father. 

And then his thoughts went to Danneel, the very first one Jensen had ever introduced to Jamie, the first one Jensen had been sure enough was gonna stay for the longer haul. Perhaps that's the reason why Jared was worried about Jamie going to New York City. Him being apart of another life, his dad's new life, while Jared was still where Jensen had left him all those years ago. Could he really be that selfish to his son and try to stop him from seeing his father just because he was worried Jamie was going to just up and leave him?

Jared sighed deeply and focused on the road ahead of him but the dark thoughts were creeping around inside his head and he couldn't shake them. With his eyes still on the road, Jared pulled up his phone from his pocket and speed-dialed Chad before pressing the phone to his ear. 

It only took about two seconds before Chad answered, his voice slow and hoarse like he'd smoked something very much illegal which Jared was pretty sure was the case.

" _ Hey man _ " Chad wheezed and Jared rolled his eyes at his friend. They were both thirty-five-year-old men and thirty-five-year-old men didn't smoke illegal drugs on Friday nights. But then again, that was what Chad was for. When you needed to take a break from the reality.

" Hey, you in town?" Jared asked and for a long moment, he was met with complete silence. He frowned and started wondering if Chad had forgotten he was on the phone with someone or if he was already wasted enough to have passed out. Then he heard a long wheezing breath before Chad answered.

"  _ Yeaaaah _ " he drawled out. "  _ I'm in town, why? _ " he asked and Jared rolled his eyes yet again at his friend. Even if Chad had said he was in town it still sounded like he wasn't even sure himself he was in Camden or not. That Chad still was alive was a miracle.

" Yeah?" Jared asked to confirm and got an affirming grunt in return which made him smile. " I'm on my way from dinner with my parents and I could really use some time not spending time alone in the house" after Jared had said that, Chad seemed to have woken up from whatever half-coma state he'd been in.

"  _ Where are you? _ " he asked, completely awake when Jared had hinted he wanted to go out.

" I'm twenty minutes outside of Camden" Jared answered and he could hear ruffling sounds and low curses coming from Chad before his friend answered him again.

"  _ Alright, I'll meet you at your house in fifteen minutes so you better step on it! _ " and then the call was disconnected and only the dial tone filled Jared's ear. He put the phone on the passenger seat and sighed deeply as he sank back into the driver seat. Jared wasn't one for going out like Chad obviously was but with the house empty and the weight he felt still pressing down on his shoulders felt the need to just relax, if only for a couple of hours with his friend drinking at a bar. It was better than sitting at home moping about something Jared wasn’t quite sure what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a little uneventful I know that but I still feel like this chapter was important although nothing drastic happened. It had more to do with Jared's head and feelings than actual events taking place.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter! It got pretty long but I hope it's okay!

When Jared went out drinking, he drank responsibly. More often than not he had maybe two beers and then he would be the driver for most of his very intoxicated friends but Jared had never had a problem with that. He had never felt the need to drink himself into oblivion just to have a good time and when his friends would lie groaning by the toilet the next day Jared would smirk in satisfaction and maybe mock them, most of all Chad.

Jared would always say;  _ you get what you deserved  _ and it had happened that Chad, in a fit of anger after getting teased at while he was still having the taste of puke in his mouth, would throw things after Jared at that statement but with eyes bleary and aim off as hell, he probably couldn't even have hit the ocean from the boat if he tried.

That's why Jared's plan for the evening he decided to go out with Chad would only be a couple of beers in the local bar, but Chad had different ideas and as soon as Jared jumped out of the car back in Camden he was roughly pulled inside the car again with orders to drive to Portland. They were supposed to meet up with some of Chad's friends to go to an apparently much cooler place than the small bar in Camden. Jared had groaned loudly over the fact that he was forced to drive all the way to Portland and had forced Chad to promise to pay the gas since it would take probably half an hour to drive to Portland. Chad had answered to Jared's reluctance with another promise, it would all be worth it, he had said and Jared hadn’t even believed him for a second.

" We're over our thirties, do you really think we should go clubbing?" Jared asked with disbelief and Chad turned his eyes from the whatever text he was typing and stared at Jared with his squinty eyes.

" When you say it like that, you make it sound like we're over our eighties, not our thirties." Chad shuddered as if the thought of reaching eighty was the worst thing that could happen to a man. Chad sank back against the seat, his face seemed haunted by the pictures of him as an old man with a cane and Jared had to smile at him.

"Although, even if I were about to become an old man, I still believe I would be awesome" Chad seemed to recover from the images and nodded his head as he crossed his arms over his chest while staring off into the darkness outside the car with a satisfied look on his face. 

Jared let out a laugh and shook his head at Chad. " Of course you would" he agreed mockingly, making the satisfied look slide off of Chad's face as he turned his head to stare accusingly at Jared.

" What do you know?" he growled out with narrowed eyes. " When I'm eighty you'll probably be dead already" Jared tilted his head and frowned while a smile crept over his slightly chapped lips. Chad huffed in contentment as he returned to staring out the window again.

" Well, one thing I do know is that you're going to be the first one to die of the both of us. If the world gets taken over by..." Jared shrugged his shoulders all the while keeping his eyes on the road. " ...let's say, aliens! Since that is probably going to happen anytime now. Who do you think will end up as a hard worker in their factories and who you think will end up as the next meal?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow. Chad huffed and waved Jareds smirk away with his hand.

" That's easy. I'm going to be working in their factories and you're going to get eaten alive. Easy peasy" he smiled, clearly pleased with his answer but Jared just barked out a laugh and turned to stare at his friend with a knowing look.

" You really think you're going to be of any use to the aliens? I can work. Hard. You can barely carry yourself" Jared countered with a proud smile as he sat up straighter in his seat to show off his big frame to his friend. Chad let out an offended noise as he clenched his jaws all the while staring at Jared with his small icy blue eyes.

" Well that's just offending" he grumbled out and Jared threw his head back for a second and laughed before returning his attention to the pretty crowded road. It seems like they weren't the only one with the idea of going to Portland.

They arrived in Portland a little after eleven pm, and Chad had for the past fifteen minutes been talking to these said _ friends _ about where they were supposed to meet up since neither Jared or Chad was familiar with Portland, or it's nightlife. Well at least Jared wasn't, but Chad bragged about him spending all his free time down in Portland since it was way cooler than Camden and the women apparently looked hotter down here as well. Not that, that fact really mattered to Jared.

They parked the car and started walking through downtown Portland in the lookout for the club, Karma that was supposed to be around here, that's what Chad had promised but with him still high like freaking skyscraper they were probably lost and were just wandering around in an unknown city.

" Chad" Jared drawled in a low voice close to his ear. " Where are we going?" he asked and Chad picked up his phone to stare down at the address he'd received in a text and then he glanced up at the sign on a large building with a wrinkled forehead.

" I think we're going the right way" he answered laughed maniacally. Jared let out a frustrated sigh and turned around, his eyes scanning the empty streets. This was not how he wanted to spend his Friday night. Not in freezing Portland with a stoned Chad. Why oh why hadn't he just went to the bar himself or talked Chad into joining him. Not the other way around. 

An old man walked out from an apartment building, and Jared decided he had enough of Chad's useless directions. " Wait here," he said, but Chad gave no indications he'd even acknowledged Jared so instead Jared just left Chad to his phone and went over to the man currently pulling a pair of leather gloves from his pockets.

" Excuse me" Jared tried to give the man his friendliest smile when the man looked up and met Jared's eyes. He looked kind, soft grey eyes with a white beard and an incredibly cool fedora hat to protect himself from the chills of the late evening. Which Jared barely stopped himself from asking where he'd gotten it from.

" Yes?" the man asked as he pocketed his keys, his eyes searching Jared from top to bottom. Clearly, he was a cautious one and probably suspected Jared and Chad were about to rob him. Jared pulled his own hands from his coat pockets to show the man that he meant no harm. The man's eyes went to his hands and Jared could see the man's shoulders drop as he relaxed.

" Sorry to disturb you" Jared apologized, and the man smiled a kind smile before nodding for Jared to continue. " We're looking for" Jared turned and made a gesture for Chad to stumble over since he was the one with the address. The man gave Chad a suspicious look and Jared couldn't blame him for being wary around Chad especially when he came wobbling over on unsteady legs with pupils that looked bigger than his entire eyes in the darkness enclosing the three of them.

" What did you say?" Chad asked, and Jared gave the man another excusing smile before he turned his head to Chad again who was currently fiddling with his phone in his sweaty hands while humming a song Jared had never heard before.

" Tell him where we're going" Jared instructed Chad and with mutters and grumbles Chad opened his phone to read the address to the very patient man. Although he was still plastered against the door to the apartment building, ready to sprint inside if something were to happen even if Jared had tried to come off as a very gentle giant, he was still a giant, and that could put a lot of caution in some people. 

As Chad read the address, the man nodded his head and then he gave the two of them very thoroughly directions on where to go and with a thank you and a good night Jared and Chad left the man.  They started walking again in the opposite direction of where Chad had first believed the club to be and Jared more than happily pointed that fact out, multiple times which only made Chad grumble something about leaving Jared's poor ass in Portland for the rest of night while he took off with his new _ best friends _ . That had only made Jared laugh which in turn made Chad more determined to do it. 

" Do you know why that old man knew where Karma was?" Chad asked after he apparently had decided that his night wasn't worth going around being mad at Jared the entire time. Jared shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his friends. He could almost see the smug retort he was about to get.

" You think he goes to Karma to get laid?" Chad asked, and Jared spluttered out the air he had inhaled. Of course, Chad would say something like that, why was Jared even surprised anymore about how brash his friend could be and as he stared down at Chad he got a cheeky grin in return.

" I don't think so; the place is called Karma. That doesn't exactly sound like a place for someone like him" Jared paused and frowned as he thought about it. " Actually, that doesn't sound like a place for anyone" he shuddered, his lips pursed as his head filled with the worst scenarios to happen if he stepped inside the club. God how he regretted Chad and his manipulating power. No wonder Jamie idolized Chad, they were both brought from the darkness.

" Freddie!" Chad pulled the man into a hug before turning his attention towards the rest of the group. Jared went up to the small commotion with his hands tucked in his pockets as he waited for Chad's loud greetings were over to introduce himself.

" Right!" Chad turned away from a smiling brunette towards Jared and put an arm around his shoulders, as best as he could before he showed Jared off to the group who curiously watched him. " This is my best buddy, Jared! He needed to get out a bit, and that's why I decided to call up my party people. to show this sad man what true love is..." Chad made a long pause and made a motion with his head for everyone to lean in closer.  " .... Alcohol" he whispered, and the group barked out peals of laughter, already it seemed like they weren't all that sober.

" Well let's going" the man, Freddie?,  said and clapped his hands together before taking the lead towards the club which was now in view from where they were walking on the street. Jared could imagine the pulsing sound of the bass making it impossible to even think for yourself. Over the dark club, there was a stark neon red sign that read Karma, and Jared kept himself barely from groaning.

" Well you look absolutely terrified of being here," a woman said to his right and Jared turned and gave her a remorseful smile before he turned to look at the club slowly edging closer. 

" That would be because I'm not really sure of  _ why  _ I'm here in fact," he told her and the woman nodded her head in understanding before she patted him on his back and leaned in closer while Jared bent down enough for the woman to talk directly into his ear.

" You wanna know something?" she asked in a low voice as if she was carrying a big secret she was about to share with Jared. Jared nodded his head but waited in silence for the woman to answer. " Me neither. I can assure you this was not how my night out was suppose to look, I'll tell you that" she snarked and Jared laughed, his dimples cutting into his slightly rosy cheeks as he straightened himself and let the woman's hand fall from his shoulder.

" I'm Carol," she said and held out her hand toward him. Jared took her hand and continued to smile as he shook it. 

" Jared" he answered and Carol slowly let his hand go before she leaned in close again to whisper something new into his ear. She shuffled slightly with her heels and placed a hand on Jared again to keep herself from falling.

" I already knew that" she whispered, her voice teasing and it made Jared laugh. Carol stepped back again and Jared shook his head while she gave him a cheeky smile.  " You wanna know the rest of our little group since Chad is to  busy with such  fashions?" Carol asked and Jared snorted out a laugh at her comment about Chad, well she wasn't wrong, that's for sure.

" That would be great. If any of you gets kidnapped, I'll at least know your names" Carol laughed out loud making head get turned at her clear laugh. Chad turned around from where he was walking together with apparently the other leader, Freddie and gave him a raised eyebrow as if Jared was about to get lucky tonight which when he thought about Carol seemed to be what she herself was looking for. 

" Okay then" she pointed out the two dudes walking behind Chad and Freddie, who apparently wasn't named Freddie but Fredrick and then she told him the names of four other girls in the group walking right in front of them, giggling and acting like teenagers which made Jared stop wonder how Chad had found these people. They seemed to all be the same as Chad. At least the girls. But then again Chad had always been kind of a girl. Not that he would ever let Jared live if he heard him say that out loud.

They reached Karma as soon as they got inside the doors, Jared was overwhelmed. Inside the club, it was very dark and the smell of sweaty bodies clung to the walls. Jared had thought there would only be younger people in the place and was quite surprised when he saw the majority of people were actually in his age range. He was pulled from his pondering by a hand clamping down on his shoulder.

"Jay-man! You will not believe what a hottie I found for you!" Chad snaked his arm around Jared's shoulder, as he purred in Jared's ear, making a shudder run up his spine as he tried to rid himself of Chad's clammy hand still placed on his shoulder.

" No Chad, I'm good. Really" Jared assured his friend with a hard look in his eyes to make sure Chad knew he was being serious but Chad chose to ignore it and instead just snorted and shook his head which Jared, in turn, raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. " What?"

" Man, you say that you're fine. Being fine with what exactly? Being alone forever" Chad huffed. " Yeah, I'm not gonna let that happen. So why don't you at least give my hottie a chance? See it as a way to let yourself explore the pleasure of human flesh!" the last sentence made Jared frown but all Chad answered with was a wink of his eye.

" You sound like a vampire" Jared stated and Chad wiggled his eyebrows as he grinned at Jared who could only stare down at his best friend with a dubious look in his hazel eyes. Chad rolled his eyes at the look on Jared's face and began to steer him away, back towards the bar where Carol and Jared had been standing only minutes ago.

" Who are we looking for?" Jared asked after having stood in silence beside Chad for almost an entire straight minute while he gazed at the many people standing pressed together by the bar trying to order.

When Chad didn't answer Jared rolled his eyes and were just about to turn towards Chad to question what they were waiting for to happen when someone bumped into him almost making him spill his beer over Chad, which wouldn't actually be that bad when Jared thought about it.

" I'm so sorry!" the man said as he placed one of his hand on Jared's hip and the other holding his elbow in a steady grip. Jared started to stutter out it wasn't the other parts fault, Jared was the clumsy one when he looked up and stared into deep pools of blue. Man, blue really was a pretty color.

" Hi" he breathed out and the man smiled, showing off his perfect straightened teeth. The man slowly released Jared and the warm print he left on Jared's body was almost burning against the khakis he was still wearing since Chad hadn't given him a chance to change his clothes before they left for Portland. 

" I know I didn't make you spill your drink but I believe it's custom to buy the person you almost killed by accidentally tripping him a drink in forgiveness" the man smiled again and Jared couldn't keep himself from grinning himself as looked at the man in front of him. Jared was just about to answer the man when he felt a small tapping on his shoulder. He turned his look away with an excusing smile towards the handsome stranger and meet Chad's amused eyes.

" Jay-man, that's the hottie," he said and Jared made a small surprise noise as he turned back to the stranger who was watching the exchange between Jared and Chad with sparkling eyes.

" Nice introduction Chad, I think I'm gonna roll with that name from now on. Hottie, it suits me" the man grinned as he straightened his suit jacket and even though Jared hadn't been the one to say it, he could still feel the tips of his ears turn red but he couldn't keep himself from returning the grin as he answered.

" Well, that is true. They say your name is supposed to reflect who you are so I guess a name change is a wise choice." the man turned his sparkling eyes from Chad to meet Jared's and he smirked as he leaned against the bar all the while slowly closing the distance between himself and Jared.

" Are you saying my only asset is my good looks? That is very shallow of you" the man said as he raised a dark eyebrow while looking at Jared with feigned hurt on his handsome face which made Jared smile in the dark club

" I guess you'll have to change my mind then," Jared said as he folded his hands over his chest in a challenging way which made the man turned his head back and let out a laugh, showing off those perfect rows of teeth again. He looked like a damn movie star, or perhaps someone from a commercial for Colgate.

Jared could feel someone pinch his side and he turned to see Chad's approving look in his eyes before he gave him thumbs up in good luck and disappeared through a group of people coming up behind Jared and Hottie. The man asked if Jared wanted to go sit somewhere and for a second Jared thought about maybe leave Hottie with a lame excuse and go find Chad again so they could go back to Camden before it became too late or early, depends on how you look at it.

But then Jared thought about the reason why he'd needed to go out drinking in the first place. Jensen had clearly moved on and Jared was left exactly where they had decided to end their relationship. And maybe he was a little desperate to prove to himself that he had moved on from Jensen as well, and maybe the first step was to go with this incredibly handsome man and flirt a little, not that it would lead to anything more serious but what was a little harmless flirting in a club. A least it could give Jared some peace of mind.

Jared decided to follow Hottie to a table in the back of the club and the sat down after he’d bought Jared a drink as he’d promised and Hottie was still sipping - what looked like - a whiskey. It was something, not a lot of people Jared knew liked, the only one Jared knew liked a nice glass of whiskey was his father Walter and Jensen. Jensen would more often than not share a good bottle of whiskey with Walter whenever there had been a dinner they had been forced to attend to. Not that Jensen had ever seen it as a burden to attend to dinner parties, not like Jared had.

" I think we missed a very important part before I asked to buy you a drink" Hottie considered and Jared lifted his eyebrows in questioning as he sipped the stale beer, why he hadn't just ordered a new one Jared didn't know but then he figured he'd been slightly distracted with tripping into Hottie.

" Oh yeah?" Jared asked and Hottie nodded his head in confirmation as he pulled a hand through his hair, making the dark hair curled around the tips of his ears, slightly red from the clogged ventilation and warmth erupting from every person inside the club.

" Yeah, I didn't ask for your name and I certainly didn't give you mine," Hottie said and it hit Jared they had been too busy apologizing to one another that Jared had forgotten to introduce himself but Chad had been nice enough to introduce the man to Jared. Even if he did a piss poor job at it.

" Well, that's not how I remember it" Jared answered and raised an eyebrow towards the man who only looked surprised by Jared's answer, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he seemed to try and collect himself enough to answer. Jared pitied him and decided to help him out. " Chad did actually introduce you as Hottie," Jared said and Hottie's shoulders seemed to relax as he realized Jared had only teased him.

He let out a laugh and sipped his drink while nodding. " That is true but even if I do prefer you calling me what you really want" the man gave him a small smirk. " I still believe I should be a gentleman and introduce myself, and I would very much like to know yours as well" and Jared was impressed by how much this man sounded like a real freaking gentleman.

" I'm Tom" the man reached out a hand to shake Jared's and when Jared placed his own hand in Tom's he could feel the warmth envelope his hand.

" Jared" Jared answered and the man smiled while continuing to shake Jared's hand.

The two of the continued to sit in the far of corner of the club, talking about everything to nothing and Jared preferred it a lot better than sitting at home waiting for Jamie. Even if he'd been very skeptic coming here in the first place. The two of them had actually kind of fun, Tom offered to buy Jared two more drinks which he accepted after some convincing from Tom. 

As they continued talking Jared found out that Tom was a pretty fucking smart guy, he lived in New York City and when the flash of Jensen flew through his mind he bit his tongue and pointedly ignored that coincident. Tom worked for a big law firm and was only in Portland for the weekend visiting a few friends, which he'd lost at the beginning of the night, which Jared very much could relate to.

Jared had no plans of taking whatever was going on between the two of them to next level but Tom seemed to have another plan in sight, something that he made very clear involved Jared and him in a horizontal position back in Tom's hotel room. Jared had smiled forced smile and thanked Tom for his very much appreciated offer but explained he had no plans of sleeping with anyone tonight. Then Jared had said goodbye and left to go find Chad without looking back at Tom, just tried to blend in among the people of the club. By that time Jared was pretty much done for the night.

The problem was that Chad was gone. Jared had walked around the entire club without seeing the smallest of traces. He couldn't even find any of Chad's party friends, it was like they had just upped and left without even telling him.

As Jared sent one last look around the club he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a message from Chad flash over the screen.

**Chad:** _just waha ell u im leving w/ leila cu2morrow._

Jared had to read the text a couple of time before he understood what Chad had meant by his cryptic or more likely extremely drunk text but once he'd figured out the text he scowled down at the offending text message. Why the hell wasn't he surprises anymore. It wasn't the first time Chad had left him once he'd found something more interesting.

Well if Chad had just left him in a freaking club in Portland, Jared had no problem dumping Chad's ass and drive back home to Camden to get some sleep. Once decided Jared made his way towards the entrance, pressing himself through the tons of sweaty bodies clinging to each other, probably welded together by the amount of body fluid they'd expelled.

As Jared finally managed to push himself out the doors and the cold night air filled his lungs Jared felt as if he could take his first, real breath of the entire night. The clogged up air in the club had been pure toxic and the chilly breeze wrapping itself around Jared was probably godsent. 

For a long, while he just stood outside the still pulsing club, just breathing in breath after breath of clean oxygen before he decided to take on his next mission. Finding his car which he had no memory of where the hell they had left it once they'd arrived in Portland. He checked the time on his phone and bit his bottom lip worryingly as he stared at the digits. It was almost 2 in the morning and Jared had no desire to stumble around Portland at that time. He was pretty buzzed and even though Jared was a pretty big guy, he sure wasn't one for fighting, not even when it was to defend himself.

He tried calling Chad but the call went straight to voicemail, and so it did the following four phone calls. Jared swore to himself and prayed to gods above they would send lightning Chad's way once he left  _ whoever-he-was-with's _ house.

Jared sighed and leaned back against the brickwall of the side of the club, trying to come up with a decent plan on how to get back to Camden, how to find his car and even how he was supposed to spend the night if he couldn't find his car. For a second Tom's face appeared in his brain but that thought was quickly dismissed, he wasn't going to sleep with someone just because he couldn't get home. That sure as hell wasn't Jared's style.

He tried calling Chad once more but only got the same result but before he threw his phone on the ground and stomped on it in a fit of anger at Chad he dialed one number. The dial tones filled Jared's ear and he closed his eyes as he took a steadier grip on his phone while he prayed for the other person to answer.

"  _ Hello? _ " he heard in the other end. It sounded like he'd been sleeping and Jared felt a bit guilty at that.

" I'm sorry to call you at this hour but can you please come pick me up on Portland?" he rushed out the question and then squeezed his lips shut as he waited for the other person to react.

"  _ What? _ " was the only answer he got, a really groggy answer and Jared decided the person earned an explanation, especially if that would convince him to drive to Portland and pick him up.

" So I went to a club with Chad in Portland after I had been to my parent's dinner. We were there for about ten minutes and when I turned to look for him again to go home, he was gone and his phone's been shut off and I can't find my car and I'm probably a little drunk so I really don't wanna be out driving" he knew he was rambling but the person on the other end just waited patiently for Jared to finish his long ramble.

" _ So you're in Portland because you decided to follow along on Chad's mess of adventures? _ " the other one asked to clear things up and Jared nodded his head even though he couldn't see it and then uttered a yes, it was a pretty calm one, considering the coldness starting to get to him and his teeth had started to clatter.

The line grew quiet for a moment before the other person groaned as he said. " _ You better pay twice next time you come into my diner _ " the other one said and Jared felt immediate relief wash over him as he profusely thanked him and promised to stay by the club until he got picked up.

After he'd hung up he pulled his coat tighter against his body as he decided to wait outside for his ride to arrive which only turned out to be twenty minutes before Jared recognized the old car rolling coming towards him. Jared smiled as he opened the passenger door and got inside, shutting the door fast enough to not let heat out from the cabin of the car. 

Stephen stared at him while he rested his hands against the steering wheel. His blue eyes still red from being woken up at 2 in the morning just to get into his car an drive all the way to Portland to pick Jared up.

" You're godsent, Stephen" Jared said once he got seated inside the car. Stephen snorted at the statement and decided to ignore it as he pulled away from the curb to drive back to quiet little Camden. Jared leaned back in his seat as he thought about where in god's name they'd left the car and he hoped everything would still be intact once he got back to Portland the next day to find it. 

" This is why you don't listen to Chad," Stephen said after a while and Jared turned his attention from the dark scenery passing outside the window to look at Stephen with a guilty face. He did feel guilty about making Stephen come get him, he felt like a little school girl getting busted by his dad for going to a party without permission.

" I know, I just..." he paused and let out a sigh as he closed his eyes for a moment. " The dinner at my parents made me think about Jamie in New York and how" he made a gesture with his hands as he tried to find the words in his mushy brain. " how far Jensen has come since we broke up. How I'm still in the same spot as I was seventeen years ago. It sucked thinking about it and then I decided I needed something to just not think about it for a while and boom! there was Chad" he explained with another sigh and frown creasing his face. The car turned silent again and Jared let his mind sink back into the deep thoughts he'd been in previously. The drove on in silence with Jared falling in and out of sleep the whole ride while Stephen drove in in silent.

The next time Jared opened his eyes it was a soft hand on Jared's shoulder slowly shaking him awake. Jared made a grumbled sound and opened his eyes to mere slits to look at Stephen sitting beside him with a small smile curving his lips upwards.

" We're here," he said in a soft voice as if not to startle Jared who still couldn't seem to grasp his full consciousness just yet, he straightened himself in his seat from having leaned against the window for the entire ride but still he made no move of leaving the car. Jared felt as if the alcohol had finally managed to take a strong hold of him and he was having a hard time shaking himself awake enough to take in his surroundings. Slowly he gained full consciousness again and met worried blue eyes watching with an intent gaze.

Stephen opened his mouth as if to say something but then he turned his eyes away again as if he regretted even opening his mouth. Jared noticed and tilted his head slightly as he stared at Stephen.

" You wanna say something before I'm gonna fall asleep again and start drool all over your window again?" Jared asked and Stephen smiled softly which lit a small fire inside Jared's chest at the sight of that smile. It was nice.

Finally, Stephen turned his head again and met Jared's eyes straight on, a small shiver run up Jared's spine even though Stephen had previously cranked up the heat since he knew how cold Jared had been sitting outside waiting for him.

" Do you really believe yourself to not have moved on the least for when you and Jensen broke up?" Stephen softly asked, doubt clear in his voice and the question surprised Jared and caught him off hand since he could barely remember them talking about any of this during the entire ride and all Jared did was shrug his shoulders and make a face. He didn't quite know how to answer that question. Sure, he had become the owner of a beautiful Inn, he was a father to the best kid one could ever dream off. But then, had he ever found one special enough to introduce into his everyday life? No.

" Well let me tell, you can't look at yourself in that way, that’s ridiculous. You've taken on the world by yourself, all alone with a small baby to support and you won! Even if Jensen or anybody else makes you feel like you're..." he gave a soft shrug and sighed, the warm air brushed against Jared and his breath heated up his cheeks. " I dunno, lost. Just remember that I admire you very much and I don't think you're stuck in the past. I think you're just taking another route" the words were told with such care and preciseness Jared could feel his heart clench. Maybe he was tired, maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was a whole lot of pent-up denying even feeling attracted to the gruff yet kind diner owner that explained why Jared did what he did.

Jared leaned in closer, their noses close enough to brush against each other, making the tips tingle from the touch and Stephen huffed out a small grin at the touch. It was intimate yet so innocent in Jared's perspective, but it wasn't enough. And suddenly, as if someone had turned off the screen and then put it back on again in time for Jared's lips to smash against Stephen's in a searing kiss and my god, that sure as hell wasn't as innocent.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've been away and not posting for like 2 weeks. But here I come, in the middle of the week with a really long chapter to make up for my absent! Hope you all will enjoy this very long chapter and accept it as my apology! Sorry, again!

Jared woke up the Sunday morning with a headache. The sun was blinding him as he slowly tried to open his eyes. The whole bedroom felt like a freaking sauna but as Jared tried to kick the clammy duvet from his sweaty body he was forced to move his head and it felt like was dying. He groaned out and put his hands over his face as regret washed over him and there was really only one person who deserved to be blamed. Chad. 

Okay, maybe Jared shouldn't have agreed to the drinks Tom offered him but that whole thing wouldn't have happened if Chad hadn't dragged Jared along. But then, Jared was a pretty big guy and he could've just pulled himself free from Chad's small petite hands if he would've liked to. But maybe there was some subconscious voice telling him that he should go with Chad and not sit around like a freaking loser.

And to be honest, he had a lot of fun, they ride there had been pretty funny since it had been quite some time since Jared and Chad had gotten together to do something just the two of. them, well until Chad's friends had shown up and Chad had ditched him to go hook up with a girl. But Jared had still enjoyed talking to Chad's Hottie, Tom even if he had no plans on sleeping with him. The only downside was Chad ditching him and Jared had been forced to call Stephen to come pick him up.

Stephen.

Stephen, that Jared had told how pathetic his life was to.

Stephen, that had assured Jared he was no loser.

Stephen... that Jared had kissed the night before.

" OH FUCK!" he groaned and facepalmed his own head which only resulted in him almost crying from the pain it the hand brought with it as it smacked across his forehead. How in the everliving hell had he decided to kiss Stephen! It was Stephen for christ sake!

Suddenly Jared was out of bed, ignoring the dizziness that followed his sudden movement. He was still wearing his khakis from the night before and also the white buttondown which was no wrinkle beyond after being slept in. Jared started pacing across the room as his hands were pulling the brown locks of hair hanging into his eyes. How could he have been so dumb? So freaking reckless?

Sure, if there was anyone Jared could ever picture himself actually giving a decent chance it was Stephen. No doubt. But this sure as hell wasn't the way to do it. You don't go kiss someone while you're drunk of your ass on drinks you got from another guy. What would his mother say if she knew? She would probably throw him head first from a cliff and leave after she had finished yelling at him for being such an irresponsible horn-dog with no manners whatsoever.

" Oh god" Jared groaned out under a rushed breath as sank down on the wrinkled sheets of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands rubbing over his slightly noticeable stubble. What was he suppose to tell Stephen now? How was he going to explain what had prompted him to do that? And there really wasn't any way around this, Jamie would know something was up with Jared if he just stopped going to Amell's Diner.

His thoughts were interrupted by something vibrating among the rumpled sheets. Jared turned around and started to dig through the still warmed duvet to find the source of the vibrating noise. As his hand closed around the still vibrating phone he begged it not to be Stephen. To his surprise and immense relief it was an unknown number.

As soon as Jared answered there was a rather angry Chad screeching into the phone and almost making Jared's ear bleed.

" _ Where the hell are you, you evil sonofabitch! _ " he roared and Jared had no idea where Chad was but he felt sorry for whoever was forced to listen to him screaming like a madman.

" I'm at home" Jared answered with a frown. " Where the hell are you?" he countered and Jared was sure he could almost hear Chad gritting his teeth.

"  _ I'm. Still. In. Fucking. PORTLAND! _ " he screamed and Jared had to move the phone from his ear so he wouldn't go deaf. How the hell could Chad be mad at him? He was the one who'd left Jared alone a club with nothing more than a drunk text. 

When Jared pointed that fact out to Chad, he'd screamed and roared at him before hanging up the phone only to call back after 3 minutes when he'd calmed down and was ready to beg Jared to drive back to Portland, which would be a little hard since Jared's car was still somewhere in Portland, if it wasn't stolen or towed away.

" Okay we'll do like this, you go down to the bus station and then you sit there until I arrive and then you're going to find my car so when can drive back again, deal?" the line was silent as Chad thought the proposal through but Jared was certain he was going to agree on it. Chad had never been one to pay money for any type of vehicle when he knew if he was persistent enough he would get a ride, most of the times from Jared himself.

With a petulant  _ 'fine' _ Chad hung up again without even a thank you and Jared snorted as he shook his head and wondered for not the first and probably not the last time, why in gods name did he hang out with that childish, self-centric asshole that was Chad.

Jared dropped the phone on the bed and made his way into the bathroom. If he was supposed to spend his day among people - which he would rather avoid with the killer headache he still had pressing against his forehead - he at least needed a shower. Jared was pretty sure he still smelt like the club from last night, a heavy stink of sweat and smoke mixed with alcohol and probably a little bit of vomit too.

Once Jared was out of the shower and dressed in a grey hoodie and a dark pair of jeans he left the house while pulling on his jacket as he walked out the door. Outside it was clear the summer had left Camden, the air was cold as it brushed past him and Jared felt himself shudder while he pulled the jacket closer.

It seemed to have rain during the night and as Jared crossed the grass in the small Camden park he felt the water droplets sink into his shoes and making his feet curl at the sensation.

When he got close to one of the few bus stops in Camden he caught a glimpse of Amell's Diner among the buildings and Jared felt a lump form in his throat at the thought of Stephen Amell. He felt guilty about what had happened during the night before, Jared had been way too drunk to make any rash decisions like kiss Stephen and even if a small part of him was happy he had finally done something about the THING between the two of them, the bigger - more mature - part of himself was telling him what an awful idea it had been to put their friendship in danger for a drunken kiss in a car.

When Jared reached the bus stop he curled in on himself on the soaked through bench a grimaced as he got up the second his ass had hit the bench when he felt the soaked wood reached through his pants.

Instead, he decided to lean against the bus sign as he awaited the bus. Fortunately the bus came within the following ten minutes and once Jared had found a seat in the back of the warm, rather smelly bus he leaned against the window and nodded off, the hangover still banging on the inside off his head as his own brain screamed at him about what he'd done with Stephen the previous night. Even with guilt and worry was crawling up his body he managed to fall asleep to the rhythm of the bus slowly leaving Camden.

The next time Jared woke up the bus had just left another station and with a glance out the window at the bus stop he figured they weren't the far from Portland. He pulled the phone from his pocket and wasn't surprised by the ten messages he had from Chad who apparently was very bored sitting at Portland's bus station alone, but in Jared's eyes, that fucker deserved it for ditching him.

Fifteen minutes later the bus stopped at the final destination and in sync, the passengers on the bus got up from their seats and pushed their ways to the door, as if it was a race or something. Jared decided to hang back until the rush had eased and as he waited he spotted Chad sitting on a bench with his hood up and arms crossed over his chest, he looked like a freaking hobo as he sat there sleeping in yesterday's clothes.

Jared smirked as he made his way off the bus and walked over to the sleeping form. Chad's legs were outstretched and Jared was surprised he hadn't tripped someone yet as he lightly kicked Chad's foot to wake him up. With a low rumble, Chad's eyes slid opened into slits as he stared up at Jared who was grinning down in return.

" Look who finally showed up" he rasped with a sleepy voice as he straightened himself. " Do you know for how long I've been waiting here for you?" Chad asked, rising from his seat, already more awake. Jared rolled his eyes as he nodded his head for the start moving. 

" Well I got on the first bus I could find and you very much deserved sitting there by yourself for what? Twenty minutes?" Jared glanced back at Chad who made an offended noise and threw his arms to the sides while staring up at Jared.

" Why didn't you tell me last night you were leaving so I could've caught a ride with whoever it was that drove you home?" Chad asked in whining voice and Jared swallowed hard as he thought about the person who had in fact driven him home. Chad grew silence as he caught up with Jared's long steps before he smirked at him with a questioning eyebrow. " Who  _ did  _ drive you home last night?" Chad asked in a low voice and Jared tried to relax his stiff body as the crossed a street on their quest to find Jared's missing car.

" A better question would be, where in the hell did you disappear of to last night so I  _ couldn’t  _ drive home by myself?" Jared countered back and bit his bottom lip while praying that Chad would just change the subject and Jared wouldn't be forced to explain himself since he knew everything would just be pouring out of himself if he even told Chad the tiniest bit of information.

Chad threw his head back and laughed while placing a hand on Jared's shoulder as he continued to steer them in what Jared hoped was the right directions but there was nothing Jared recognized from the night before and everything looked very different in the daylight from when they had been walking around downtown Portland in the darkness.

" If only you knew what I was up to" Chad answered with a cryptic voice and Jared snorted out a laugh while pulling up his phone to show Chad his drunk text from the previous night. Chad's squinty eyes flew over the screen as he read it before he looked up with the start of a sly smile pulling on his lips. " Well then you  _ do  _ know" Chad voice was husky and he sighed deeply as he thought back to the night before and all Jared could do was make a face and ignore Chad's dreamy look.

They continued walking as Chad gave a thorough explanation of what had happened between him and Leila the night before and as much as Jared tried to shut out whatever Chad was saying something slipped through and made Jared squirm in horror and embarrassment for his friend. It took them surprisingly only twenty minutes to find the car and to Jared's relief, the car was still as whole as Jared had left it the previous night.

Chad wore a proud grin on his lips as he got inside on the passenger seat, with a cocky comment of how Jared should trust him more often but Jared had seen Chad's surprise when they'd actually turned on the right street and the car had come into view.

" Of course you knew" Jared had mocked which had earned him a slap to the backside of his head and a low growl from Chad as he stomped over to the car.

Jared let out a relieved sigh as he unlocked the car and slid in behind the wheel, Chad following on the passenger side. While Jared pressed the key into the ignition Chad started fiddling with the radio to try and find a decent station with not too loud music since he was still pretty hungover. Whenever Chad was hungover he found a special liking for classical music or slow musicals, he would close his eyes and hum along while he explained to Jared how the music was cleansing his soul.

For the bigger part of the drive, the cab was filled with only the soft rumble of the engine and Chad's low humming to the radio but just as Jared left the interstate his phone started ringing in his jack pocket. Chad opened his eyes to stare offended at Jared who only flipped him off as he tried to find his phone without losing focus on the road.

Once his hand slipped around the cool phone and he pulled it out, he wished he hadn't. On the screen, Stephen's name blinked back at him and Jared felt his throat lock up.

" Dude!" Chad exclaimed and leaned over to take over the steering wheel when Jared lost himself in the still vibrating phone but Chad's squeak broke the spell and Jared dropped the phone but had no time to watch it bounce against the seat and land between Chad's feet before he was trying to straighten his drive.

" What the hell is wrong with you, man?" Chad accused only to huff out a small laugh before continuing. " I mean I've always known something was wrong with you, but I mean what the hell happened?" Jared turned and glared surly at his friend but Chad had already lost his focus and was leaning over to pick something up from the floor. 

" Is this why you almost had a heart attack?" Chad turned the object in his hand and showed Jared his phone where the screen was notifying him of the missed call from Stephen. " Why's Stephen calling you?" Chad asked, his voice slow as he leaned in closer with suspicious eyes locked on Jared.

" Can we do this when we're back in Camden, I don't feel like doing this while you smell like a public bathroom" Jared answered but Chad ignored the offended comment and instead leaned in even closer until Jared could feel Chad's bitter breath on his cheek. 

"Chad..." Jared began warningly. " I will crash the car if you don't move back" he threatened and Chad let his disbelief color his snort but he did lean back in his seat again, but without letting go Jared's phone.

" Why didn't you answer him?" Chad asked after a moment and Jared clenched his hands around the steering wheel before he turned to Chad with a mock offended look and his mouth open in a gasp.

" Don't you know how many accidents happens with people talking on the phone while driving, I've read a magazine about it" Jared tried to direct the conversation away from Chad's snooping but it seemed that the classical music had really cleansed Chad because it only took a look at Jared to see through his poor attempt.

" You suck Jay-man" Chad answered with a disapproving shake of his head as he let the phone slip from his fingers and land in Jared's lap. 

" Well, you're entitled to your opinion Chad" Jared nodded his head with a stoic face. " And I'm entitled to mine, which is, you're still an asshole" he grumbled out and Chad only barked out a laugh as he continued to pester Jared non-stop about telling him the reason why he hadn't answered Stephen's call, as if that little punk had the right to know, Jared thought angrily all the while Chad's whine filled his ear.

And then, Jared had enough.

He pulled over to the side of the road and shut the car off before he turned in his seat to face Chad who had basically been pawing at his right hand for the past ten minutes.

" You really wanna know why I didn't answer when he called?" Jared barked and Chad nodded his head profusely with his mouth hanging open like a freaking puppy.

Jared knew he was gonna regret it, he knew this was a mistake but the thoughts and worry gnawing at his insides was too much for him and with Chad's constant nagging it was enough for Jared to blow whatever plan about keeping it low key.

" I kissed Stephen!" he blurted out and for a moment Chad's face grew slack in chock. His mouth still hanging open and if it had been any other time Jared would've teased him about looking like a seal or like a freaking sloth. He could feel his rapid breathing and his heart pulsed in his chest as Jared locked eyes with Chad.

" You kissed Stephen?" Chad asked slowly and Jared swallowed hard before he nodded his head.

" Yes, I kissed Stephen"

" When?"

" Last night"

"Where?

" In his car"

" He was the one who picked you up from the club?"

" Yes."

" And you kissed him?"

" Yes"

" Like a real kiss?"

".... Yes"

" On his mouth?"

" Where else would I kiss him!?"

".... I dunno"

" Yes, I kissed him! And know I'm acting like a big wuss who can't even answer his freaking phone after kissing a boy while drunk of his ass" Jared whined and pressed his forehead to the steering wheel as he squeezed his eyes shut while he waited for Chad to answer him.

At first, he was only met with silence and then Chad burst out laughing. Jared straightened himself and stared at his friend with a betrayed look. How the hell could Chad be laughing at his pain right now?

" Oh Jay-man!" he patted Jared on his shoulder as he continued laughing. " You are too adorable" Chad continued and Jared's eyes narrowed and he started to consider perhaps leaving Chad's sorry ass in the middle of the street.

" I mean, so you kissed Stephen, big deal. I kissed a random bitch last night and I barely remember her name. These things happen, even to the best of us" Chad explained and Jared felt his eyes widened as his mouth fell agape as Chad continued to pat him on his shoulder as if to reassure him.

" Are you for real?" Jared asked and Chad grinned at him as he wiggled his eyebrows in an answer. " You really think this is no big deal?" Chad only shrugged his shoulders and Jared wanted to hit him square in the face for this freaking ignorance but then again it was Chad. Nothing was that surprising to Chad anymore if Jared came to Chad and needed help to bury a body Chad would only ask for a reasonable payment for his work and then start diggin'.

" All I'm saying is that when you're drunk these things happens-" Jared cut him off with a cold voice.

" You've already said that" but Chad only glared at him before clearing his throat and continued his lecture. 

"  _ And  _  you've always like Stephen, what's the problem if you finally got the courage to kiss him?" Chad asked and leaned back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest and a victorious smile on his face, clearly proud of his own analysis.

" You're an idiot" was the only thing Jared said and then he turned up the volume on the stereo and dismissed the conversation which only made Chad chuckle but at least he agreed with Jared and didn't say anything else on the matter. 

When they arrived in Camden Jared dropped Chad of at his apartment and drove back to his house. As Jared got out of his car he started to think through what Chad had really said. Sure, the man was freaking douchebag but he still had a point. Jared had always had a soft spot for Stephen and he had many times believed it to be returned. But as he opened the door to his home and he saw the old coat rack he thought of Jamie.

Jamie, his son who he couldn't drag into the mess if things didn't work out between Stephen and Jared. Jamie didn't deserve it and that was one of the reasons why Jared had never acted upon his feelings before.

But now he had. Now he - drunk him - had apparently decided he was done tiptoeing around Stephen and just threw himself on him like a freaking tiger. But not as smooth or subtle.

He shrugged out of his coat but didn't have the time to hang it on his hook before someone knocked on the door. Jared only turned around and opened the door, still lost in his own thoughts.

" Hi" the person on the other side breathed out and Jared blinked away the picture of him in the car with Stephen only to stare into the real eyes of Stephen.

" Stephen!" Jared heard the surprise shine through his voice and Stephen smiled gently at him which made something warm fill Jared's body as he met that smile.

" Chad showed up at the diner and told me I should get over here, he even paid for a burger he told me to deliver to you as a thank you for the ride, his words." Stephen held up the white plastic bag and even though Jared entire body was rigid he couldn't help but smile as the scent of greasy burger found its way to his nose. Then he felt himself stiffen again as he repeated what Stephen had said in his head.

" Wait, Chad? Chad told you to get over here?" he asked to clarify and Stephen frowned slightly but nodded his head in confirmation. Jared cursed under his breath and promised himself he would kill Chad the next time he saw him. He had no right in involving himself with Jared's may or may not be love life.

He should never have told Chad about Stephen.

" You alright Jared?" Stephen asked concerned and Jared almost wanted to scream out in frustration. Stephen was such a good guy and Jared was a total mess at the moment which certainly wasn't something Stephen deserved to get thrown in his face.

" Yeah" he managed to breathe out as he with a tense hand open the door wide to let Stephen inside the house to be the polite boy his mother had tried to mold him into. Stephen slowly stepped inside, his eyes still focused on Jared as if he was trying to read him.

" Is this about what happened last night?" Stephen asked gently, his eyes cast down and Jared felt a sting of regret as he saw Stephen'  face fall into resignation. This man didn't deserve Jared's dithering.

" No!" he quickly said which made Stephen lift his head to meet Jared's own hazel eyes, he still didn't look convinced which wasn't that surprising since Jared himself didn't believe what he'd said.

" Yes..." he softly admitted and Stephen started nodding his head before Jared could even explain, totally onboard with just leaving the food and the disappearing back to his diner but Jared knew they needed to talk about this. Even if he didn't know what his talk would lead to.

" Just..." Jared chewed on his lips as he tried to find the words in his jumbled up brain that was probably still a little intoxicated.  " Can we sit down and talk about it?" he finally asked and Stephen let out a breath as if bracing himself before he nodded his head and Jared nodded his head in return, at loss about what he should say and only led Stephen into the kitchen where they sat down around the round table. 

Stephen set down the white bag on the table and started to take up the styrofoam package with Jared's burger apparently paid by, by Chad.

" You wanna share?" Jared asked but didn't wait for an answer before he got up from the chair and started rummaging through the kitchen drawers to find a knife to cut the burger into halves

" You really wanna share your food with me?" Stephen teased and Jared felt a small part of the tension ebb away at those words, he turned his head to meet Stephen's eyes over his shoulders and gave him a grin.

" This is a rare thing on my part so you better remember and treasure this moment forever" he answered as he pulled a knife from a drawer before he turned around and cut the burger in front of him into two pieces before he pushed one of the halves towards Stephen who smiled in thanks.

" I'll be sure to do that" he answered and Jared grinned at him before he took his first bite of the burger. He barely stopped himself from moaning out his pleasure, damn this was exactly what he needed when he felt like shit. And Jared was pretty sure he wasn't just talking about the burger. Things with Stephen seemed so playful, so easy even if tension and unspoken questions were breathing down their necks.

They ate in silence but even if they knew this talk would decide what was going to happen to them, whether they wanted it or not, there really wasn't any awkwardness during their meal which Jared was very thankful for since he knew if there was even a hint of awkwardness he wouldn't have been able to eat. That was probably the only time when Jared couldn't prop himself full with food.

But then the inevitable talk knocked on their door and Stephen was the first one to open it.

" So I guess we need to talk about last night" he began and Jared nodded his head all the while holding his breath in waiting, he had no idea how Stephen had felt after last night, partly because Jared had always tried to stop himself from thinking about the possibility of the two of them forming some sort of relationship and partly because Jared didn't even remember - as embarrassing as it was - what Stephen's reaction had been last night since after the press of lips it had all been thick fog around his head until he had woken up the next day.

" Do you regret us kissing?" Stephen asked and Jared was surprised about him just jumping into the deep questions instead of just starting off with small questions like.... well he guess there really wasn't any small questions in this discussion, not that he could think of anyway.

Jared didn't really regret it, it had been a nice kiss, what he could remember of it. But the factors that circled Jared's life, most prominent Jamie who was his number one priority was making him regret being that reckless and short sighted. 

He sighed and closed his eyes for a long moment before he slowly shook his head. " No, I don't regret us kissing" he finally said and he could hear Stephen let what sounded like a relieved breath which made Jared open his eyes to look at the man sitting across from him. Stephen didn't look as tense as he had done just a couple of seconds ago and he even had a small smile pulling on his lips.

" That's good" Stephen breathed out and the smile grew on his lips which just made Jared more guilty just as much as it made him feel all fuzzy inside like a teenager. Oh dear lord! Jared knew he needed to say something in case Stephen got his hopes up too much and then Jared would hurt him even more.

" But Stephen..." Jared began and swallowed hard. " I don't regret our kiss, I actually liked it" he huffed out a small smile but the smile faded away seconds later again. " But I don't think it was a good idea" he explained which in turn only earned him a questioning frown from Stephen as he watched Jared with his deep, so very kind blue eyes.

" Where do you think that kiss could take us?" Jared asked and Stephen gave a soft shoulder as he leaned forward in his chair to rest his arms on the worn table as he clasped his hands in front of him.

" I don't know, but I'm willing to find out if you are" he answered and Jared turned his eyes away to stare out the window at his neighbors across the street currently mowing their lawn, the lawn they mowed every Saturday and had mowed since Jared moved here. 

" Jared" Stephen called and pulled Jared attention back to himself before continuing. " I believe the two of us have a shot at this if we just gave it a real chance. I believe I could be enough for you. I think I could make you happy Jared if you just gave me the opportunity to" and Jared wanted to say yes, wanted whatever attraction they had between each other bloom into something a lot deeper and he didn't doubt what Stephen promised him. 

But he couldn't, he couldn't expose Jamie to this, not with Jensen just introducing a new person into Jamie's life, a person Jamie had been worried would replace him, exclude him from the family. How would Jamie react if Jared told him he too had started dating someone, what happened if Jamie felt abandoned by both his parents? It was something Jared didn't wanna risk, it was something he couldn't risk.

" Stephen..." Jared began and tried to collect himself to finish it. " I don't know. I have Jamie to look after, his father has just introduced a girlfriend to Jamie and he didn't take it that great" Jared paused and he could see the understanding fill Stephen's face and it made Jared just wanna throw everything away once more and give the two of them a chance. He was such an understanding man who wouldn't press Jared into something, wouldn't get mad at him, he would take everything with dignity and understanding.

" I know" Stephen answered, his voice barely a whisper as he nodded his head. Jared watched Stephen's pink tongue reach out to wet his slightly chapped lips and Jared turned his eyes away to stare down at his hands squeezing opposite upper arm. " I would never demand you to ever let Jamie fall into anything but your first priority, it's hard for  _ me  _ not to want to protect him from everything, I can't believe how hard it must be for _ you _ " Jared could hear the fondness color Stephen's word and a barely-there smile slipped over Jared's lips.

" I love him more than life" Jared answered in a shaky voice and Stephen smiled and reached across the table to gently squeeze Jared's left hand. His warm hand ingulfing Jared's felt too nice for Stephen to let go when he did only a second later and Jared's face twisted into a mask of guilt and want.

He let his eyes fall close again and took four deep breaths, not three since his mother told him all the normal people took three deep breaths because they couldn't afford one more but Cheryl Padalecki could and that's what she'd taught Jared and even if Jared had complained about being a pretentious things it had been something that had stuck to him all the years and whenever he felt stressed he would take four deep breaths. 

" But... I wanna try this, I wanna give us a chance" he whispered and he could hear Stephen take a sharp intake of breath across the table which made Jared's lips pull slightly upwards. He knew he needed to give the two of them a chance, his was still afraid of the effect on Jamie but he knew Stephen would never demand anything Jared couldn't and wasn't willing to give and he knew that if they were to date, Jamie would still be the most important person in Jared's life, no matter what.

Jared had great faith that if he needed to break off whatever they would start up, Stephen would never hold it against him and a small voice in his head told him the same thing that had happened between Jamie and Jensen would never happen between Jared and Jamie since Jared hand never abandoned Jamie. It was a mean little voice that Jared more often than not tried to ignore since he believed himself to be a bigger person than that.

" You're willing to try this?" Stephen asked and Jared heard the barely contained excitement in his voice. He nodded his head and breathed out a deep breath he'd felt like he'd been holding for hours. 

" Yeah, but if Jamie needs me to break it off, if it doesn't work out I will break it off" Jared decided it was better to put up some ground rules before they became anything more serious than this. Stephen's face grew serious and he nodded his head in complete agreement.

" Of course, Jamie always comes first" that sentence could've sounded like an accusation from any other person but from Stephen it was reassurance and Jared wanted to hug him, to thank him for understanding. But Stephen had been a part of Jamie and Jared's life for as long as Jamie had been alive and he had seen the ups and downs of Jared's relationship with Jensen just as well as he'd seen Jamie's relationship with Jensen.

He knew the hard time Jamie had been forced through when his father had only been a distant person living in another city, when Jensen had decided to reenter Jamie's life, when he'd, again and again, distanced himself from Jamie for various reasons only to reappear again with a carefree smile on his face and his eyes shut to avoid having to face the disappointment in his son's eyes.

If Jared were to start dating again, he couldn't find a better man than Stephen, someone with the same experiences as Jared and his family, with the understanding of a freaking god.

" Thank you" Jared whispered out and leaned across the table to press a chaste kiss to Stephen's lips. " Thank you for understanding" he breathed into Stephen's lips as he kissed him again.

Jared rose from his chair, never pulling his lips from Stephen's as he closed the distance between them and leaned his own body against the furnace that was Stephen's large form. Stephen groaned out something against Jared's hungry and desperate lips but Jared decided whatever Stephen wanted to say, it could wait until after. After what, Jared wasn't quite sure.

But then Stephen broke off the kiss, he was out of breath and Jared could feel his own heart raising and the adrenaline rush through his body but Stephen kept his distance.

" Should we really do this?" he asked, insecurity shining in his eyes and before Jared even had time to proceed the question correctly he nodded his head and let out a  confirming nod before pressing his lips against Stephen's again. The feeling of Stephen's dark beard tickling his throat and cheeks but he ignored it in favor of focusing on Stephen's large hand roaming over Jared's body, those warm hands leaving hot prints in its wake as Jared moaned against the press of lips.

They should really go upstairs. But then Jared would have to tear himself from Stephen and that wasn't really something his body was onboard with at the moment.

Jared let his fingers dance across Stephen's body and down to the belt in his jeans. The leather was worn under his fingers as he smoothed them over the belt to the front of Stephen's torn jeans. With a smirk, he pressed his hand against the noticeable bulge in Stephen's jeans which in turn caused the other man to let out a deep moan followed by a low curse as his eyes met Jared's teasing hazel colored orbs.

" We shouldn't do this here" Stephen breathed out, his words hitched as Jared continued to let his fingers roam over the outline of Stephen's cock which caused more curses to escape the other man much to Jared's delight.

"  I think you're right, we should go upstairs so I can suck that cock of yours" Jared agreed huskily and reluctantly moved his hands away from the front of Stephen's jeans. Jared wrapped his hands around Stephen's wrist and started to pull him up the stairs but the only got halfway until Stephen pressed Jared against the wall with a low growl that caused a surprised yelp from Jared. Stephen turned his dark, lust filled eyes away from Jared's pink lips to give him a teasing look.

" Shut up, you just surprised me" Jared answered in a rumble and Stephen let out a chuckle before his lips meet the soft skin of Jared's throat. Jared's fingers gripped Stephen's hair as the soft lips of Stephen graced Jared's throat with kisses Jared was pretty sure was gonna bruise once morning comes. 

They continued up the stairs and suddenly there was a soft duvet under Stephen's warm body as Jared straddled him, his hand grasping Stephen's outstretched arm and keeping it pressed against the bed. Stephen closed his eyes as Jared continued his way down Stephen's body with his hands until he stopped at Stephen's own pants, tented with his own excitement. 

Jared lifted his right hand and opened the button in Stephen's pants before pulling down the fly and letting the erection spring free from the tightness. He snaked his hand down Stephen's grey boxers and his hand wrapped around the hot flesh of Stephens's painfully hard cock as Stephen let out a gasp.

“ All for me isn't it?” Jared mumbled and the heat rose in Stephen’s cheeks as he moaned out his answer as Jared have his cock the first stroke. Jared moved down and placed himself on the floor between Stephen's spread legs as he gripped the big, pulsing cock in his hand and gave it a light squeeze which almost made Stephen arch on the bed and Jared smirked in reaction before he let the cock go, for only a second and before Stephen could utter anything Jared leaned in and placed his hot mouth over the rock hard cock.

Jared moaned at the warm flesh in his mouth, stretching his lips and letting the hot cock probe against his throat. He wrapped his hand around the base of Stephen's cock and started pumping it in his fist as he rounded the slit of Stephen’s massive cock with his the peek of his tongue.

" Uh! If you continue this I'm gonna blow right away" Stephen warned and Jared lifted his dark eyes to meet with Stephen's and gave him a small grin, the cock still stretching his pink lips. Jared slowly let the dick slip from his mouth with a wet slurp as he crawled up Stephen's muscled body, his finger tracing patterns in Stephen's skin as Jared sat down against Stephen's waist, the hard cock nudging against the cleft of Jared's ass. Jared leaned back and pressed his backside against the cock which made Stephen let out a guttural groan of frustration.

"Oh, you are a tease" Stephen mumbled under his breath and Jared leaned down and let his hand stroke down Stephen's angular face “ And you definitely need to take those pants off. Now" Stephen demanded and Jared really had no objections to that demand and quickly shifted his weight from Stephen's waist and Stephen's hand was suddenly on his hips, just as eager to get rid of the fabric keeping his dick from Jared's ass. Stephen stood up, his arms still wrapper around Jared's frame as he helped Jared slid his tight jeans off his body.

Once Jared was undressed after Stephen demanded him to lose the shirt he'd been wearing as well exposing him to Stephen's lust-filled eyes staring at him, calculating his every move.

Jared placed his hands on Stephen's shoulder and gently pulled him with him down onto the soft mattress. Stephen placed himself between Jared's legs before he slowly started a soft trail of kisses along Jared's thigh. Jared felt his body arch and a small gasp left his shining lips as Stephen continued kissing him

“ Spread your legs” Stephen murmured, voice thick with lust and hunger as he stared at the spread out Jared before him. Sweat glistening on his body and the soft dust of hair on his chest, almost invisible in the soft light. Jared watched as Stephen reached out, one hand gripping Jared's hip and the other softly brushing against the tight ring muscle, making Jared moan at the touch and spread his legs even wider on the queen-sized bed.

" Come on, more" Jared panted out, causing Stephen to huff a small silent laughter before his finger disappeared.

" I would love to, but we need lube or else this is gonna hurt like a bitch" he answered and Jared almost wanted to facepalm himself,  of course, he needed lube. He nodded his head and swallowed as he tried to get his head straight again, his cock was still taking up too much of the blood in his body and it made it hard to think.

He reached beside him into the small bedside table on his left and pulled out a small, barely used bottle of clear lube. Stephen slid his fingers around it and popped the cap open immediately before drizzling out the liquid onto his fingers.

And before Jared could start up his begging Stephen's finger was back against his hole, probing against it before slowly slipping inside Jared's body. Jared writhed on the bed in both pain and pleasure. It had been years since fingers other than his own had entered him and the feeling of Stephen's fingers spreading him was euphoric.

Stephen continued stretching Jared's hole until Jared didn't have the patience to wait anymore. Stephen leaned over him as he lined up his cock with Jared's eager hole and with a slow but fluid motion Stephen pushed his cock into a gasping Jared.

As the cock pierced him Jared clawed in pleasure against Stephen's back with no thoughts on how it would look in the morning. Once Stephen was fully sheathed inside Jared he paused and looked down at Jared with soft, concerned eyes.

" You okay, I'm not hurting you?" he asked softly and Jared shook his head. It had been a couple of years since Jared had last had sex but he was no freaking virgin you needed to treat like som delicate china doll.

" Don't worry about it and fuck me instead" Jared leaned up, his arms around Stephen's neck as he whispered into Stephen's ear. Stephen slowly started to pump his cock into Jared and immense pleasure-filled and before he could let out another moan, Stephen's lips were hungrily kissing him, his warm tongue seeking passage into Jared's mouth which he gladly gave, his mouth filled with Stephen's tongue and his ass filled with Stephen's drooling cock.

Stephen slammed into him, his hand around Jared's back as Jared curled his fingers into the soft blonde hair, tugging lightly on the strands of his mouth was locked with Stephen. 

Stephen's grip fell lower until his hands were resting on Jared's hips, fingers pressing into Jared's skin hard enough to probably bruise. He pulled Jared back on his cock as he straightened himself up, trying to angle Jared's body enough to find that sweet spot inside Jared that always made him moan like a bitch. Once Stephen's cock hit the spot the first time Jared cried out in pleasure as he reached between his legs to stop himself from coming.

" You like that huh?" Stephen asked breathlessly and Jared nodded his head as another moan slipped from him making Stephen pound into him that much harder.

“ Come on baby, come for me," Stephen said as he pumped his thick length into Jared's sore ass. His hand slipping down to lift Jared's hand away from his own dick keeping his orgasm at bay.

Stephen sped up the fucking as Jared clasped his hand around his dick and started thrusting into his fist as Stephen chased his own relief.

“ I’m gonna come!" Jared cried out as Stephen slammed into him one last time before the hot mess of Stephen's relief filled his hole, it was enough to finally push Jared over the edge and his own cock erupted into coming as white seed spurted on between their sweat-slick bodies.

Slowly, not to hurt Jared, Stephen slipped out of his hole and placed himself behind Jared, his arm loosely draped over Jared to keep him pressed against his chest. Jared sighed deeply as he curled himself up against Stephen's toned body, whatever had happened here tonight were something he'd deal with tomorrow, Jared reasoned as the bone-deep tiredness finally managed to pull him down into the darkness of unconsciousness. He felt the soft press of lips against his cheek before he disappeared down under and fell asleep to the gentle rhythm of Stephen's even breathing.

***

The next day, Jared woke up the soft smell of Stephen, that earthy scent like a cool day in the forest. Jared started moving and that was when he realized the slight pain in his backside, god he hoped he didn't have to limp around like some old man thanks to Stephen.

Jared pulled the duvet closer to his naked body and turned to look at the still sleeping Stephen. His face was completely lax and his mouth hung halfway open as he took slow, deep breaths. Jared felt his face crack up into a small smile before he took a deep sigh as the realization hit him.

He'd had sex with Stephen. Stephen freaking Amell. What the hell had he'd been thinking? Sure Jared had agreed to give the two of them a chance at whatever was between them but then he'd just yanked off his pants and jumped into bed with Stephen. 

Jared dragged a hand over his face and closed his eyes, a frown creasing his forehead but he didn't have any more time thinking about their nightly adventure before Stephen started moving and let out a small groan. Jared turned his eyes to meet Stephen's face just as a pair of blue slits opened and confirmed Stephen's waking. When Stephen's eyes landed on Jared he began smiling. Just a small pull of his lips.

" Hi," he said, voice raspy from sleep as he turned on his side to lean his head against his closed fist with his elbow against the mattress. " You've been awake for long?" he asked and Jared shook his head, his tongue didn't seem to agree with him about using words to communicate.

" No, I woke up just before you" he finally managed to say, his voice sounded choked and Jared cursed himself for it. Stephen nodded his head slowly, his eyes still steadily watching Jared with that soft look he always had.

" Are you okay?" Stephen asked and Jared sighed deeply and for a long time he just stared at the ceiling before turning his head, lips tight and the small worry still prominent on his forehead. Stephen shifted closer once he seemed to sense what Jared was worried about and even if his problems in the bottom began with Stephen his okaying to them starting up dating (?) he still felt some tension let go of his uptight shoulders once Stephen came closer.

" I'm fine..." he began and then snorted as he shook his head to himself, this really hadn't been a good idea.  " Well, mostly fine. I've just thought about if this thing was such a good idea or not" he explained and for a split second Jared could see the disappointment flash over Stephen's face but then a well-made mask replaced his honest face and all Stephen did was nod his head.

" If you wanna break it off, I'm totally okay with that, sure it stings like a bitch" he tried to laugh but it came out forced and unnatural. " But I'm sure I'll be able to handle it" Jared's eyes widened after Stephen's acceptance of something Jared sure as hell hadn't asked for. Violently he shook his head to stop Stephen from digging himself a bigger grave as he wrapped his fingers around Stephen's wrist as if he would just get up and leave any second.

" No, no, no, no" Jared continued shaking his head. " That wasn't what I meant. I just meant maybe we shouldn't have had sex after we'd just agreed about starting dating, that makes us look like horny teenagers you know?" Jared could almost see Stephen's entire body sagging at those words and he hoped it was in relief, well he was pretty sure it was in relief. 

" I said I'd give this a chance and I will, I'm not gonna change my mind after a night" Jared promised and leaned in to gently peck Stephen's warm cheek. " What kinda guy would I be then?" he joked,and Stephen rolled his eyes with fondness as he kissed Jared, a soft kiss that was very much different from the hungry tearing they'd done the day before.

" You hungry or what?" Stephen asked as he moved back on the bed and only then did Jared notice his stomachs grumbling, he hadn't eaten anything since he and Stephen had split a burger last night.  Jared widened his eyes and started nodding his head wildly, Stephen grinned at him before he rose from the bed, still completely naked.

" Well then I guess I owe you some breakfast for the pain I'm pretty sure you have in your ass" Stephen stared down at him and Jared stretched his hands above his head as he smirked at Stephen with a questioning eyebrow.

" You're pretty cocky I'll say that" Stephen frowned at Jared's comment and Jared pulled the duvet closer to his body before he followed Stephen's example and got up from the sleep warm bed.

" Well I mean you think you have a big enough cock to hurt me, that's pretty cocky in my opinion" Jared explained and Stephen rolled his eyes before he padded over to Jared and pulled him closer to his bare body.

" Then tell me, wasn't I big enough for you since you apparently seems to be a fan of pain?" Stephen asked as he leaned in close enough for Jared to feel Stephen's hot breath against his cheek. 

Jared closed the small distance between them and pulled his arms around Stephen. " No, you're perfect" Jared mumbled against Stephen's kiss-swollen lips. He could feel Stephen smile against his lips and Jared could feel the flutter in his heart again as he stood surrounded by Stephen.

" Come on if you continue I'm gonna have to drag you back into bed again and you won't get any breakfast" Stephen warned in a husky tone and Jared gasped as his eyes grew bigger.

" And we can't have that, now can we?" Jared answered and slowly pulled himself free from Stephen. As Jared walked over to his closet, his body still wrapped in his duvet cover he could hear Stephen chuckle fondly behind him before Stephen started rummaging through his own discarded clothes lying in a heap on the floor.

Jared pulled out a henley shirt and a pair of jeans before he dropped his cover and exposed his body to the grey light shining through the window. Jared flushed and he could almost feel Stephen's eyes lock on his body.  He felt his cheeks heathen further and quickly pulled on his boxers, and his jeans in a fluid movement feeling some tension leave his body as he managed to cover himself up.

Once Jared has dressed the two of them made their way down the kitchen, whatever awkwardness that had been hanging between them was slowly evaporating as they started cooking breakfast together.

They teased and laughed between small kisses as they cooked and Jared felt some kind of lightness fill his chest as the two of them sat down to eat. As Jared pushed his fork through the fluffy eggs Stephen had scrambled he moaned out loud.

" God! These eggs are heaven" Jared said as he immediately shoved more eggs into his mouth. Stephen looked up from his own food to stare at Jared with a fond look before he shook his head in amusement.

" You are gonna have a heart attack if you keep stuffing yourself full like that" Stephen warned and Jared pointed his fork at Stephen with a raised eyebrow. He swallowed the last of his eggs before he opened his mouth to respond

" Well if I get a heart attack this time it'll be your fault" Jared answered with a smirk as he picked up a bacon string with his long fingers and placed it on his outstretched tongue as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Stephen opened his mouth and was about to counter back when a loud bang could be heard through the house followed by a loud hello being shouted. Before even Jared or Stephen could react Jamie stood in the doorframe, still in his jacket and shoes with his duffle bag slun

" Hey, da-" he began but cut himself off as he saw Stephen sitting next to Jared, his hand resting on one of Jared's tight. When Stephen saw where Jamie's eyes had wandered he quickly withdrew his hand with a shameful look.

Jared rose from the table and tried to smoothen out his clothes, brushing away crumbs of some bread he'd found in one of the cabinets and Stephen decided to fry with the bacon.

They had been awfully delicious. 

" Jamie, what are you doing home so early, I thought you wouldn't be back until late afternoon," Jared said as he walked over to his son, giving him a strong hug as he wrapped up Jamie in his long arms.

" Not that I'm not happy you're here this early" he quickly explained once he'd realized how what he'd said must've sounded.

" Yeah, I get that" Jamie breathed out but his eyes were kept locked on Stephen who was sitting awkwardly at the table, fiddling with his own fingers as he watched the heartful hug between dad and son.

" Dad's here" Jamie whispered into Jared's ear before he managed to wiggle himself out of Jared's arm. Jared tensed at those words and stared down at his son before he looked up and spotted the stoic looking face of Jensen behind Jamie. Jared gave Jamie a long look which Jamie only shrugged off before he slid away and went over to Jared's still half full platter, greeting Stephen in the process before he sat down and started going to town on Jared's plate.

Jared took a deep breath and turned his attention towards Jensen who had his eyes locked on Stephen sitting at the table making small talk with Jamie. Jared cleared his throat and Jensen eyes quickly flashed back to him before back to Stephen again, a look of disdain slowly becoming evident on his face. 

" Hi, Jens-"

" Who's he?" Jensen asked, his voice as cold as freaking Antarctica and Jared glanced over his shoulder, assessing if Stephen had heard Jensen or not, but the words seemed to have slipped right over his head.

Jared swallowed hard but tried to keep his stance as he crossed his arms over his shoulder and made a small nod with his head for them to talk out in the hallway, away from prying ears. Jensen narrowed his eyes but agreed and with a huff, he turned, Jared following tightly behind him and once Jensen decided the distance had been enough and spun around, Jared almost bumped into his slightly smaller frame.

" You wanna tell me now?" he growled out and Jared opened his mouth to answer when a question struck his mind. Why in the hell did he have to explain anything about what people were in his house? It wasn't like he'd ever invite someone that could Jamie in danger.

Even with those rebellious thoughts in his brain, Jared knew better than to try and tell Jensen off.

"  _ He  _ is Stephen Amell, owner of Amell's Diner in town" Jared explained but it had only seemed to provoke more questions from Jensen who only shifted his weight from one foot to the other, he seemed like he was ready to stay here all day firing off questions at Jared.

" Okay," he drawled sardonically. " And what the hell is in your house  _ eating  _ breakfast at ten in the morning?" Jensen's voice rose until he was almost yelling and Jared couldn't help himself from giving him a warning look. It didn't matter if Jensen were upset with Jared or not, this wasn't something that should affect Jamie. He certainly didn't need to hear his parents fighting.

" Will you keep your voice down. Jamie is in the other room!" Jared snapped and all Jensen did was roll his eyes in return as he huffed out a dismissing breath. Jared glared at him as Jensen flexed his hands in annoyance, a habit he'd always done when he faced confrontations of any kind.

" Well?" Jensen asked and tapped his foot in impatient. " What's he doing here?" Jensen asked again and Jared pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and chewed it. He knew the guilty look evident on his face certainly gave Jensen an idea of what the two of them had been up to but his face revealed nothing as he waited for Jared to answer him himself.

Jensen took in Jared's guilty looking face and the red flush crawling up his cheeks and his face turned into an evil grimace as his green eyes turned poisonous like the color of one of those scary-ass frogs Jensen used to watch on National Geographic.

" Oh I see..." he drawled, his cold voice washing over Jared making him almost shiver at the raw resentment echoing in his every word. " First Tom at the club and then Mr. Stephen Amell...." Jared didn't hear the rest of Jensen's accusations, his mind had grown to stop once he heard Jensen utter Tom's name.

" How do you know Tom?" he spluttered out before he could stop himself and cut off Jensen's continuing rant. Jensen closed his mouth slowly and lifted one of his blonde eyebrows as his eyes descended upon Jared with an evil and if Jared didn't know better almost with a sense of humor look in those forest green eyes.

" How do I know Tom? You sound rather surprised that I seem to know _ Tom _ " Jared frowned as emphasized the name again. It seemed as if Jensen waited for Jared to make some sort of connection between the two but all Jared could think was about the almost mocking way Jensen talked to him.

" I-I-I don't..." he stuttered out, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as his brain tried to find something to tie the two men together. Jensen shook his head and smiled slightly before he cut Jared off from his musings.

" You really don't remember Tom Welling, a very good friend of mine from New England, Jamie used to call him Uncle Tommy when he was still a baby" and that's when Jared realized how Tom and Jensen were connected. Maybe it was a tad too late since he'd already given Jensen the satisfaction of putting him in place already.

Tom Welling. He had been a very good friend of Jensen from the earlier days but Jared had only met him a few times but Jamie had the few times when he'd visited his dad when he was small often babbled on about Uncle Tommy being the best of the best since he would always buy him candies even if Jensen had told him no.

Jared had always been very thankful to Tom since sometimes Jensen would zone out on his son and get lost in his own works but then Tom had always been there to steer the situation on track again and entertain Jamie to help ease away the abandonment he felt when his father dismissed him because of work.

Jensen must've seen Jared's expression because he huffed out another breath as he crossed his arms over his firm chest. Jared could feel the hostility almost brushing off of Jensen and choking Jared in the process. Jared swallowed hard and turned his eyes towards the hardwood floor beneath Jared's naked feet and Jensen's polished shoes.

" I didn't know it was that Tom" Jared mumbled and Jensen snorted out a laugh, he didn't even sound surprised about the fact that Jared hadn't been able to tell that the man he'd met in Karma had been Jensen's Tom. For some reason, Jensen being as unsurprised as he was, felt even worse than if he'd been genuinely surprised by the fact, the coincidence that Jared and Tom had run into each other in a club in Portland. 

" Well I can't argue with that fact" he said, his voice cold and toneless making Jared tense his entire body. He felt like he was still a child being scolded by his parents for something he'd done, it had always been a feeling Jensen easily could provoke from Jared. Sometimes Jared would figure it had something to do with Jensen being two years older than Jared, and therefore in many people's opinions, he was the more mature one.

Jensen moved a step to glance into the kitchen were Jared could still hear the soft mumble of Jamie and Stephen's conversation and the thought of Stephen keeping Jamie occupied while his parents were arguing made him want to kiss the man in thank you since it had only taken two seconds for him to realize with Jensen in the hallway, trouble was sure to come.

" Hmm..." Jensen leaned back and his eyes settled on Jared again, assessing his entire body. " You never did have a type, did you? Or maybe you did. JUST  _ available  _ isn't it?" the humorless laugh that followed Jensen's comment make Jared's heart break in an entirely different matter. Of course, since Jared and Jensen had broken off they had had hard times talking to each other without it escalating, but Jared had always hoped someday they would be able to be the grownups the were forced to play. That one day, the would grow into those roles.

" W-w-what did you say?" Jared felt his voice cracking and he was sure his confidence was only heard in his own ears as Jensen simply shrugged his shoulders in a carefree matter. When Jensen couldn't even give him a reasonable answer when he couldn't even say a word clearly deeming Jared not good enough to give a verbal answer Jared felt the remains of his heart shove the broken shards against his ribcage, making his chest feel bloody and torn up.

" Out." he whispered between clenched teeth. Jared lifted his gaze to stare at Jensen behind bleary eyes filled with salty tears threatening to leave his eyes. When Jensen didn't even move a muscle and only continued to look at Jared with disdain coloring his face Jared lost it.

He shoved Jensen away, making him take a surprised back from the share force in Jared's shove but once he found his footing again, whatever surprise had drained from his face, only leaving his pale face with the mocking sneer on his mouth.

" Didn't you hear what I said the first time!" he tried to keep his voice down but the anger, the hurt flooding his system made it hard to keep his emotions in check. " You need to leave my house. Now!" he pointed at the door with a shaky hand as he swallowed the pain down, trying to keep himself from breaking down in front of Jensen.

Then there was a hand wrapped around his bicep making him jump and whip his head around to see Stephen standing just behind as a wall for Jared to lean against. Even if he didn't want to, he could still feel his body move inevitable closer to Stephen's large frame, seeking comfort from another body.

" What did you say to him?" Stephen asked, his voice calm but the grip he kept wrapped around Jared's arm was suffocating but Jared didn't make any move to make him lessen his grip. Jared was pretty sure he was the anchor making Stephen keep his strength to himself and not decided to rearrange Jensen's face with it.

" This is a private conversation between my ex and me" was Jensen's only response but he didn't move his eyes to even look at Stephen standing protectively behind Jared, his gaze was still locked with Jared's glazy hazel ones. Jared couldn’t help but feel his chest sting slightly at Jensens’ words, even now. Years later. " And I doubt you would even understand" Jensen continued and this time he did turn to look at Stephen, his eyes hostile and his mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. 

Jared could feel Stephen's body tense and he turned himself to try and catch Stephen's eyes before he decided he had enough of Jensen and instead his eyes fell on Jamie standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and his face pale as fallen snow. Whether he himself was angry at Jensen this had to stop now, Jared thought as he saw his son's face. Those scared eyes taking in the scene playing out in the safety of his own home.

" Jensen. You need to leave now. I won't ask you again" he tried to speak as clearly as he could without his voice cracking but still, he could see Jensen's reluctance to listen.  " Please" he added, his voice falling apart over the words but it seemed to have been enough for Jensen to finally nod his head. Even if he did it with a glare sent in Jared and Stephen's way. 

Perhaps he too had seen the terrified face of their son and realized whatever was between them wasn't worth tearing their son apart over.

Jensen shifted his weight on his feet before his eyes flashed over Stephen and Jared before landing on Jamie, his eyes serious and bottomless as his green orbs met Jamie's.

" You call me the next time you father brings home one of his conquests to fuck" and then he stormed out, shoving the door shut behind him with enough force to make the pictures on the walls shake in their places, probably as afraid as Jared had been.

The words Jared tried not to reflect over as he let out a shaky breath, a small part of him hoping as Jensen had walked out of the door, he would also walk out of their lives for good.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was really self-conscious about this chapter since I don't usually write smut of any kind but I hope it wasn't too bad. I think that was the reason why I didn't post it when I was supposed to, I was actually really worried about the response I would get but I will take any criticism with dignity! Hope you enjoyed chapter 10!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I've been radio silent for the past two months, I have really been struggling with this chapter and I've had the worst writing block ever so it's been really hard getting this chapter done. When I first wrote this it was way longer but I had to cut it into two parts so hopefully, I will be able to publish part two by the end of next week and also, I will try to be better on updating this for everyone sakes, not just mine! And before I go I just wanna thank everyone so much for all the positive comments I've gotten! they really warm my heart and they are the reason I manage to actually sit down and write even when it seems impossible, so thank you so much and enjoy! 
> 
> Also I want to let all of you know that I have actually created a playlist for this story if you was curious about what I listen to when I write this fic!   
> LINK: https://open.spotify.com/user/matildayaao/playlist/7nmdQSBxUCGMYPnCqgHDDx?si=hzlqvPq_TRKb393eMNpCWw

After Jensen had stormed out he had left an eerie silence in his wake. Jared let out a shaky breath and tried to collect himself from the heated argument between him and Jensen. Stephen slowly unwrapped his fingers from Jared's arm and stroked Jared's sore arm with gentle fingers, a silent apology brushing over him with warmth and guilt.

Jared turned his eyes towards Jamie, still standing frozen against the doorframe, his eyes resting on the spot where Jensen had disappeared. He didn't even seem to notice the two men watching him with worried frowns cutting into their foreheads, making them look 10 years older than they really were. 

Jamie shook his head slowly, trying to shake the things his father had said from his head before he gave a soft, reassuring smile towards Jared and Stephen, standing next to each other and almost watching like the finest exhibit in the museum.

" I'm fine" his voice was small and Jared could see through the translucent wall of reassurance that Jamie tried to build up around him but before Jared could call his son out on it Jamie slunk past them and up the stairs on feather-light feet. 

Jared wanted to run after him, wanted the two of them to curl up on Jared's bed like they used to when Jamie had been smaller. He wanted to shower Jamie with his own apologies for the fight Jamie had heard but he couldn't. Not yet. Jared turned his eyes to Stephen who was still staring after Jamie even after he'd disappeared upstairs, his eyes displayed the same worry Jared was sure could be read on his own face and Jared wanted to hug Stephen.  There really was no reason for him to stick around. To put up with the abusive, accusing relationship Jared had with Jensen or the hurt that constantly seemed to be thrown carelessly around in the Padalecki-Ackles family and yet here he was.

" I'm gonna leave you two alone" Stephen suddenly said, his voice cutting through the silence Jensen had left them with. Jared knew he was right and pulled his bottom lip into his mouth as he nodded his head. 

" I'm sorry you had to be here for this" Jared felt guilty about what Jensen had said about Stephen and he felt even more guilty for not putting a stop to Jensen's rant earlier then he had. Stephen huffed out a soft laugh as he placed his rough hands on either side of Jared's face, guiding his eyes to meet with Stephen's ice blue orbs.

" Don't say that. I'm glad I was here" he gave a light groan as if he realized the way his words must have sounded to Jared. " I mean,  I'm glad you weren't here, facing him alone. I really don't like seeing him hurting you" Jared could feel his sharp teeth cut into the soft flesh of his own lips at Stephen's words. He didn't like the feeling of being sheltered by anyone else. His parents had tried to reign him in when they thought he'd been to far out in the water but still, he felt some form of gratitude to Stephen for stepping in when Jared's plead seemed to fall on deaf ears.

" Thank you" Jared whispered and leaned in against Stephen's frame to place a soft kiss on his lips before he pulled away from Stephen, stopping any form of development from happening between them since Jamie was still the most present thought in his head. And Stephen didn't seem to demand anything else. He had barely returned the kiss, giving Jared the permission to control the situation, to slip away when he needed to put a stop to it.

" I'll call you in the morning?" it sounded like a question and Jared nodded his head before managing to give Stephen a teasing smile.

" Or maybe we'll meet at the diner when I'll order some delicious, fattening bacon" Stephen chuckled and Jared gave him a soft wave before he walked up the creaking stairs, only confirming Stephen's departure when he heard the front door shut and the rumble of Stephen's pick up as it drove off.

Jared walked over to the closed door of Jamie's room and gave a soft knock, waiting for permission to enter as he swallowed hard, his mouth felt dry from yelling at Jensen and trying to keep himself from not crying in front of either Jensen or Stephen.

" Yeah?" came the soft response and Jared slowly turned the door handle and opened the door to the darkness engulfing Jamie's room. As the door slid open a sliver of light crept over the dark floor, hitting Jamie's bed and revealing the lump lying on the bed.

" Can I come in?" Jared asked and he could hear the rustle of bedsheets before Jamie turned around to look at Jared. His face mostly hidden in the shadows but Jared could still make out the hazel green eyes of his son. Jamie gave a hum and made a gesture for Jared to enter. Jared silently moved over the floor, not bothering to turn the light on since he figured there was a reason the light was shut off in the first place. 

He sat down on the edge of the bed and for a long moment, the silence was hanging between them, almost suffocating them but neither was willing to break it yet. Jared watched as Jamie fiddled with the edge of his bedsheet, pulling the threads away with his lean fingers and making Jared remind himself of how many times he'd scolded his son for destroying the sheets which Jamie had swore wasn't his fault.

" Dad was really mad at you" Jamie finally said, his voice seemed to carry more experience then the heated argument in the hallway and Jared wondered if Jensen had made his displeasure known to Jamie during the car ride back to Camden yet he didn't ask Jamie about it, only nodding his head in response.

" Yeah, he was" Jared murmured and once again silence fell between them but this time Jamie didn't leave it quiet for too long before he frowned and opened his mouth again.

" Did he yell at you because Stephen was here?" Jamie asked but he seemed to know the answer already. Jared decided to nod his head in confirmation anyway, making Jamie turn his gaze away as if he was ashamed, his eyes still concentrated on the threads he was fumbling with in his hands as he shredded yet another sheet apart in a nervous habit but Jared didn't have the heart to scold him.

" Your dad didn't think Stephen being here was appropriate since you were supposed to come home today and he made that clear to me which he was within his rights to do. I shouldn't have had a man in our house when I knew you would be coming home and for that, I'm sorry Jamie" Jared explained, regret flooding his voice as he uttered his apology. Even if Jensen had been harsh on Jared and called him things Jared would never ever give him permission to call him by, Jared should've known better and yet he ignored his better thoughts. Lust and horniness taking over and dominating his mind, making him reckless and nonchalant.

" But Stephen isn't just some man, he's Stephen" Jamie argued softly and Jared couldn't help but laugh a throaty laugh at those words. He stroked Jamie over is auburn hair with his hand and rolled his eyes. Jamie sat up on the bed, looking at his father while Jared lightly tugged on the tips of Jamie's hair.

" Yeah" Jared breathed out, his eyes fell on a dark corner in the room as he thought back to the surprising arrival of Jamie followed by the horrendous screaming match with Jensen. " But your father still had a point, I shouldn't have him there even if it was only Stephen. What would you say if it had been anyone you didn't know sitting in the kitchen? Your father was right to express his... opinions to me" Jared didn't know why he was sitting on Jamie's bed, defending Jensen when just moments ago he had wished for Jensen to leave his life forever.

But he knew Jensen's reaction had been fair. He himself had reacted the same way when Jensen had told him about Danneel. The two of them were only trying to protect their son from people who could hurt him. Still, Jared could feel the words Jensen had so carelessly spit at him sting in his chest even if he tried to ease the pain with the knowledge that Jensen was only trying to protect their son.

" Yeah, well..." Jamie began and crawled closer to Jared on the bed until they were sitting, shoulder to shoulder. " dad was still a dick, even if you think he was right" Jamie grumbled and Jared let out a choked laugh before he lightly slapped Jamie on his arm, trying to give him a scolding look.

" Language Jamie," Jared said but his son only shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the headboard with a careless look on his face. Jared took a deep breath and wiped away any remains of either tears or snot still glistening on his own face.

" I'm sorry you even had to hear the two of us fighting in the first place, you shouldn't have to," Jared said after a moment of silence and Jamie nodded his head before he curled up closer to his father. Jared instinctively wrapped his lean arms around him, shielding him from something Jared didn't even know what it was.

" You shouldn't apologize, you didn't do anything" Jamie mumbled into his chest and Jared felt his heart warm at those words but he couldn't let his son place all the blame on Jensen. Jensen could be unreasonable sometimes but looking at the whole situation from a another perspective and it all came down to Jensen just trying to protect Jamie. 

" Oh, Jamie" Jared sighed as he hugged his son closer, stroking his thumb over Jamie's arm as he placed his head on top of Jamie's, breathing in the soft smell of Jamie mixed with what he could guess was Jensen's shower gel. They sat, curled up together in silence for a long while, only listening to the sound of their heartbeats, their soft regular breathing, and the town slowly awakening outside the bedroom window.

" Are you and Stephen dating now?" Jamie suddenly asked, making Jared jump at the words, he had been lost inside his own head with his eyes closed, trying to escape the memories from the morning.

Jamie moved away from Jared's embrace and sat up to stare down at his father while Jared could feel himself squirm and his cheeks heating at the question and his son's intent look. 

Jared didn’t answer at first as he tried to find the words to express the thing between himself and Stephen, only he didn't quite know himself what the two of them shared. Jamie sat quietly waiting for his father's response and in the hazel green orbs Jared could make out something boarding on amusement twinkling in those deep hues. 

" I..." he began and exhaled deeply as he rolled his eyes, god this wasn't the conversation he wanted to have with his son in his bed but then a small mean voice that sounded way too much like Jensen told him in a mocking voice that this was what you got when your son walked in on you basically having sex, even if they had only eaten breakfast together, the evidence had been clear.

" I dunno" he finally managed to say only to look up and see Jamie smirking as he nodded his head in mock - agreement, clearly not falling for Jared's indecisive response even if that was actually partly true. Still, Jared had some idea of what he  _ hoped  _ what they had was but nothing he wanted to tell his son at the current, awkward moment.

" Uhuh" Jamie hummed as he nodded his head, smirk still tugging on his lips which made Jared give him a cold glare for his answer. What the hell did this kid know anyway? Instead, Jared huffed and started to crawl off the bed, probably looking like a seal or something flopping around on the soft mattress.

Once he finally placed his feet on the wooden floor he turned around swiftly to stare at Jamie who had also managed to slide off the bed, although more gracious than Jared, even if Jamie were packed with big ass muscles that would make it impossible for him to move like a freaking gymnastic.

" You're just a little boy, you shouldn't be invested in anything even involving the d-word" once Jared had said those words, his own eyes grew almost as comically large as Jamie’s did but before he would even give Jamie the chance to open his mouth and start mocking him, Jared cut him off.

" NO!" he screamed and shook his head furiously while frowning deeply." NOnonononono that wasn't what I meant. I meant dating! Not... not that!" he explained, his voice almost shrieking as he tried to drown out Jamie's cackling laugh. 

Just the image of Jamie entering the stage of adulthood in that way felt like someone throwing a bucket of icy water over him. He tried to shake the mental pictures from his head as he watched his son fall back against the creaking bed, still chuckling like a madman.

" I'm not gonna stand here a minute longer and listen to you mocking a man for a small mistake" Jared grumbled and after that, he slipped outside of Jamie's room. He groaned loudly enough for Jamie to hear through the closed door as Jared made his way downstairs to clean up the remains of his and Stephen's breakfast. Jamie and Stephen seemed to have started up the cleaning but had only gotten halfway through once Jared had started yelled at Jensen and Stephen had come running to the rescue.

The motions of cleaning up weren't something Jared particularly enjoyed but it gave him something to do with his hands and something to occupy his mind for the time being so as to not think about Jensen even if he knew that was inevitable. Even if Jared tried to ban Jensen from his existence it wasn't that easy when you shared a child. And even with Jamie insisting on his father's likeness to the male organ Jared couldn't help but scold his son even if some part of Jared couldn't help agreeing. He felt as if he had perhaps done what Jensen had from times to times accused him off. Had Jared perhaps tried to guilt - trip Jamie into standing on his side and his side alone? Perhaps Jared had played a bigger part in Jensen's rage earlier in the morning then he had believed at first.

Once the table was cleared and the dishes were for the first time in days, actually made and the cutlery was once again reunited with the insides of the dark cabinets after spending so long placed in the evergrowing pile in the sink Jared padded into the living room and sank down on the sighing sofa, it always made a sad breath of air leave it's wake whenever one decided to sit down. Almost as if it was pained by someone abusing its cushions for sitting.

Even if it was barely noon, Jared felt wiped. It felt as if he'd been run over by a bus, repeatedly for the last 4 hours. He leaned back and let his eyes travel over the old, cracked ceiling as he heard Jamie move around upstairs, hopefully unpacking his bag and putting his dirty clothes in the hamper for Jared to later put in the washing machine.

The surprising way the morning had unfolded in, Jared had no desire to do anything else on his last day off before he was supposed to go back to work in the morning. Jared squeezed his eyes shut as his jaws cracked when his mouth opened in a large yawn but before Jared could fall into oblivion that was sleep he heard Jamie yell from upstairs before he rushed down with vibrating phone in his hand.

" Chad's calling" was the only thing Jamie said before he threw the phone in Jared's direction in a perfect arch. Jared's reflexes had never been the best and both he and Jamie knew Jared wouldn't catch a flying phone. That mistake had already been made and it had resulted in a broken phone and a laughing Jamie. The phone instead landed on the cushion next to him and Jared sent Jamie a bleary-eyed thank you before he with a deep sigh picked up the phone and answered.

"  _ Heeeeey, how's my boy this day, fucked well enough until you can not sit on that perky ass of yours? _ " Chad's voice filled his ear and Jared made a face as he once again thought why in the hell he’d even befriended Chad in the first place and then he remembers it wasn’t he who befriended but rather Chad who forced his friendship upon Jared.

“ You really wanna know?” Jared asked with a raised eyebrow and he could hear Chad bark out a laugh before he answered, still chuckling like a madman.

“  _ You dirty little boy, Jay _ ” Chad said as if he was a proud daddy praising his son about what a good score he’d gotten on his test. It sounded pretty sick to Jared’s ear but all Jared did was shake his head and let out a sigh.

“  _ So now what? _ ” Chad asked persistently when he realized that Jared wasn’t going to help in continuing their conversation.

“ Now what, what?” Jared countered even if he had a pretty good guess at what Chad was referring to, but the restless tone in Chad’s voice made Jared wanna play around a bit with Chad’s patience. 

“  _ Now what? Are you fuck buddies? Are you gonna get married and have babies or was this just a one-time thing and now you’re gonna drop him like last night’s dinner? _ ” Chad almost stumbled over his words in his haste to get them out of his mouth and once he was done he let out a harsh breath of air and Jared swore he could hear him grumble under his breath what an idiot he was friends with.

“ Drop him like last night’s dinner? You know I would never toss out food without a really good reason” was the only answer Jared gave and this time it really wasn’t meant to piss Chad off, well, maybe a little bit but really, Jared couldn’t answer that question. Not now. That was a question he and Stephen was supposed to discuss during their breakfast together but they got...  distracted you might say.

“  _ That’s what you’re focusing on? _ ” Chad asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and barely contained frustration that made Jared grin to himself before he shrugged his shoulders in a hopeless matter even if Chad couldn’t see him.

“ I don’t know what you ask of me?” he countered back and Jared swore he could almost hear Chad grind his teeth together until they were nothing but dust left in their wake. 

“  _ Really? That’s just a cheap excuse. You should know, I paid good money for this, I at least deserves to know what went down between the two of you _ ” Chad growled out and Jared couldn’t help but picture Chad squinting his eyes at him in what was supposed to be an intimidating matter but instead he just looked like a small kitten with its eyes still closed. 

“ When you put it like that it sounds like I’m some kind of prostitute” Jared exclaimed and just as Chad was about to start his rant again the words Jared had said finally sank in and instead he snorted out a loud laugh like a freaking pig. 

“ _ That was a good one, my good friend _ ” suddenly Chad didn’t sound like he was minutes away from coming over and beating Jared into the ground just to get him to answer him. Apparently some self - degrading humor was the way to get back into Chad’s good grace.

Once Chad was done laughing he turned his attention back to Jared still waiting on the phone with a frown in place on his forehead. “  _ Fine, I yield, _ ” he said but Jared didn’t believe what Chad said for a second. That was a too easy of a fight before he gave up, it didn’t sound like the persistent Chad he’d known for basically his entire life.

“ You yield?” Jared raised his eyebrows in doubt and Chad made an agreeing hum but still, Jared didn’t buy it. 

“  _ Yes, I yield _ ” Chad paused for a long moment and Jared started to believe his friend had hung up on him,  which wouldn’t be the first time he did that without even saying goodbye when something more interesting tugged at his attention. 

“ Until tonight when you will offer me for dinner as a thank you for sending over your lover last night. I’ll be over by seven, be prepared” and then Chad hung up and left Jared with the dial tone and a loud groan escaping him.

He closed his eyes and prayed to whatever higher power that was looking down at him to just end his suffering instead of putting him through what he was sure to be a torturous dinner with Chad and his very dear apprentice also known as Jamie. Whenever Chad and Jamie got together it always ended with the two of them sitting across from Jared and laughing their asses off at whatever Chad had said, more often than not, something that involved a very drunk Jared.

“ Why do you look like Satan just called to tell you about the apocalypse?” Jamie asked on his way to the laundry room with a pile of clothing from his time in New York. Jared straightened himself on the couch and met his son’s amused eyes.

“ Because my dear son, that  _ was  _ Satan who just called, and the apocalypse is going to take place at the time he has forced himself into our home and demanded our food” Jared screamed while waving his arms in a dramatic gesture but the only reaction he got out of Jamie was a surprised look followed by a pleased smile.

“ Chad’s coming for dinner tonight?” he asked and Jared let out a sad noise while nodding, heartbroken at his son, still standing with his pile in his arms. Jared’s reaction seemed to be the only answer Jamie needed since he only grinned and turned around and walked away from a betrayed Jared.

Even if Jared could with total honesty say that he hated whenever Chad decided to come over for dinner he was still relieved and actually thankful to the man for coming, not that he would ever tell Chad that. That crap would haunt him forever if he did. But after the upsetting morning, the two of them had been through some kind of distraction was very welcomed in the Padalecki - Ackles house.

With Chad suddenly deciding to attend dinner, Jared decided the house needed some real home-made food for once. He got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to see what the rather barren cabinets had to offer. Not surprisingly he discovered the only edible thing was bread from that morning and coffee. God, when was the last time any of them had been shopping for something other than candy, ice cream or noodles?

“ Jamie!?” Jared yelled through the house and not even a minute later Jamie appeared from the laundry room. “ What do you want for dinner tonight when your bestie comes over?” he asked but Jamie clearly ignored his attempt at teasing and instead went over to the cabinets Jared had just rummaged through.  When Jamie came up with the same result Jared had, he turned around and leaned against a counter whilst his eyes focused on a point on the floor as he thought over what Jared had asked him.

“ I dunno… he began and Jared groaned out loud at the answer, call him a hypocrite but he hated the answer;  _ I dunno _ . Jared pulled a hand through his hair and spun around the kitchen as he himself tried to think of something to cook for tonight, something easy enough that didn’t require too high cooking skills since Jared’s basically sucked. 

Then Jamie’s face lit up and he turned to Jared with eyes bright and the beginning of a smile as if he’d just found the secret tomb in the pyramid or won the lottery. “ I know what I want,” he said, Jared frowned slightly at the smug look slowly taking over Jamie’s face. He narrowed his eyes as he awaited the big reveal. “ Pasta Carbonara!” Jamie exclaimed and Jared couldn’t help but let the surprise show on his face. It wasn’t something they ate a lot but it had been one of the first dishes Jared had been able to make for himself when Jamie had been born and the two of them had first moved to their small apartment in downtown Camden.

Jared shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head in agreement. “ Sure, why not.” he lifted a finger and pointed it at Jamie still leaning against the counter. “ But then you’re going shopping with me since you proposed it,” Jared said and left the kitchen before Jamie could come up with any counter-argument.

“ You’re a wuss for running away when you can’t face confrontation!” Jamie yelled after him but Jared didn’t take that as a no and only laughed as he jogged up the stairs make himself look presentable enough to go to the store while he could still hear Jamie grumbling downstairs.

When Jared walked downstairs after ten minutes he was pleased to find Jamie waiting by the door, fully dressed in a black tracksuit Jared had never seen before. As he pulled his jacket on he continued staring at the tracksuit furrowed eyebrows.

“ Why don’t you just take a picture of it, it’ll last longer, they say” Jamie snarked and Jared lifted his gaze to look at Jamie with the question clear in his hazel eyes. Jamie only shrugged his shoulders and opened the door and walked out to the car. 

“ Dad bought it for me” he threw over his shoulder as Jared stared after him but really it was not surprising that Jensen would go and buy his son, something that was rather pointless. What kind of 17 years old needed a tracksuit for a real purpose? Not just to look cool in. It was probably a very expensive one too, Jensen never spared on anything, not that there had ever been the need to do it.

“ And you thought you needed one?” Jared asked as he followed Jamie to the car, Jamie shrugged his shoulders again as he opened the passenger door and got inside with Jared following close after.

“ Well no-” he began but Jared could see the mischievous look in his hazel-green eyes as he buckled the seatbelt and let a hand slowly travel down the smooth material of the tracksuit. “-but it would be rude not to accept it, my daddy taught me better than that” Jamie said and Jared snorted out his disagreement. He started the car and they left the driveway.

“ That must’ve been your other daddy who taught you to be greedy because it sure as hell couldn’t have been me” Jared defended himself, earning himself a laugh from Jamie as they drove into town on the sunny afternoon. When they closed in on the center of the town and the sign above Amell’s Diner Jared pointedly turned his head the other way, pretending to look for passing traffic. He could feel curious eyes trying to pick him apart and all Jared tried to do was contain the blush slowly edging up his cheeks.

They arrived at the small store and parked the car before Jamie almost ran inside, complaining about the cold and all Jared did was yell after him about how he perhaps should’ve taken something else than a freaking tracksuit in September in Maine. Jamie had only flipped him off and slammed the door shut behind him, which had probably earned him a disgruntled look from the owner. She was an older woman - born and raised in Camden - named Samantha. When Jared had first been new to Camden Samantha had come back to her hometown after traveling around the world for better parts of her youth. She was someone Jared had always admired and respected for her wisdom and her incredible life experiences. Experiences Jared had never been able to experience himself.

As Jared opened the door after his son’s abrupt departure he caught the last of Samantha’s words as she lectured Jamie with her hand’s raised in the air and an angry frown present on her otherwise and surprisingly smooth forehead.

When Samantha’s syrup colored eyes fell on him, the frown deepened and Jared could feel he himself was about to get a lecture from the older woman. She pointed at him in a warning and locked eyes with him until Jared just wanted to apologize for whatever it was that had made those creases deepen in her forehead. 

“ You better keep track of that son of yours or else I’m gonna throw him out” her voice was low in a warning but Jared just nodded his head eagerly at Samantha who only stared at him with a questioning look in her brown eyes. Jared took a once over across the shop but Jamie had disappeared out of sight and then leaned in closer to Samantha as if he was gonna tell her a secret, even if there was no need for being secretive since Jamie was probably across the shop by then.

“ Can I pay you to kick him out?” Jared asked, totally honest and for a long moment, Samantha just stared at him before she shook her head and turned away from him, a clear dismissal and a sign for Jared to get out of the woman’s sight. Jared grinned at her back before he picked up a basket and started wandering through the store in search for his companion.

He didn’t find Jamie until he had walked through the entire store and had grabbed everything they needed for their ‘dinner party’. Jamie was standing by the registry talking or more like fumbling around like he was drunk while another boy stared at him with raised eyebrows and a small grin. The other boy was dressed in an apron with the store’s log printed on the red fabric. 

For a moment Jared stood by and watched his son trying to string together just one logical sentence without success but when he saw the red blush creeping up Jamie’s cheeks he decided to be the bigger person, even if Jamie probably deserved to be tortured for just a few more minutes. He was about to step forward and help his son out when a voice startled him from behind.

“ So  _ that’s  _ the reason he was like a freaking thunderstorm through my shop today” Samantha commented and when Jared just stared at her confused she nodded her head towards Jamie and the still  unknown boy. He had dark colored eyes and a black mop of hair almost the color of charcoal, his skin was tanned and he most certainly didn’t seem to belong in a small supermarket in an even smaller town in the middle of Maine. He seemed to belong on like a paradise island or something.

“ Who’s he?” Jared asked, his voice low as he studied the two teenagers exchanging what was mostly just one worded sentences to each other. Samantha chuckled behind him and Jared tore his eyes away to look down at the woman, currently stacking cans of something Jared had no idea what it was.

“ That’s Enzo, his family moved to town about two months ago from California or something like that. His mother wanted her family to grow up in a bit more realistic environment so they moved here” the way she said it made it seem like it was almost absurd for people to move here based on that argument, but Jared couldn’t find it in himself to defend Camden. He wasn’t so sure a more realistic environment was the correct term when talking about Camden but he wasn’t gonna spoil that for the family who’d left behind the sun and warmth to come up here.

“ Your kid’s been here almost every time Enzo’s been on shift and I must give it to him, he is a quick learner, it only took him a week to figure out Enzo’s working schedule and since then your boy’s been running down my doors in this place” Samantha explained and Jared felt his eyes widen at the off-handed comment. This had been going on for almost two months without Jared even knowing about it? It was surprising in a way and actually hurtful in another. He and Jamie talked about everything, almost everything. The only thing Jared tried to keep from his son was the strained relationship with Jensen but it seemed that Jamie too kept secrets of his own.

“ Really?” was the only thing Jared could ask as he turned to look at the teenagers again. Jared had never talked to Jamie about the birds and the bees, he himself could still remember the awful conversation between him and both his parents.

They had sat him down on the couch and then explained, thoroughly about where babies come from, how when he was older he was gonna meet someone very special and when that happened he needed to be protected and prepared for whatever might happen, those had been his mother’s words. They had told him that when he turned fifteen he was gonna go to a place where all young boys go to, to see if he was able to carry babies or not. That one had been the most horrifying revelation.

Jared could still remember how he had almost lost it when his mother explained that someone was supposed to take a look ‘downstairs’ to decide whether or not Jared at some point could have babies. He had told his mother’s repeatedly that he most certainly didn’t want anyone to look at his freaking dick or his asshole for that matter, and that had earned him a gasp from his mother and a stern “ JARED!” from his father.

Jamie himself had been to the andrologist just two years prior and once the result had come back Jared had been surprised when Jamie had actually asked him to come along to find out the news, with a blush coloring his cheeks. As both Jamie and Jared had already suspected, Jamie was not a carrier. Once the two of them had left the clinic Jamie had been a little more collected and he had said that it didn’t matter if he’d carried the gene since there really was no way he was gay or even bi.

But by the look of it now, Jamie might have another opinion. Jared said his goodbye to Samantha and made his way up to the registry where he just caught Jamie confirming what sounded like some kind of arrangement that made Jared lift his eyebrows in curiosity.

“ Dad!” Jamie exclaimed when Jared came up to the registry and put down his basket. Jared gave Jamie a knowing smirk before he turned towards the boy behind the counter who was flushing red at being caught by a parent.

“ I don’t believe we’ve met” Jared reached over the counter with his hand and the boy glanced at Jamie who Jared could hear groan loudly. “ I’m Jamie’s dad, Jared Padalecki” Jared introduced himself with a friendly smile aimed at the boy. 

“ Enzo Agnelli, nice to meet you Mr. Padalecki” Jared raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned to glance at Jamie with an impressed look. The boy had manners. Jared retracted his hand slowly but before he could ask the polite boy anything and just continue on embarrassing Jamie, his son was suddenly beside him, a hand placed on his shoulder squeezing him hard in a warning.

“ Okay! How ‘bout you go to the movie store and find a movie for us to watch tonight instead huh?” Jared didn’t even get the chance to say anything before Jamie had pulled Jared wallet from his jacket pocket and was almost shoving him towards the door.

“ Fine, but then you don’t get a say in what I choose” Jared countered but he knew Jamie was barely listening. He just hummed in agreement and had already turned back to Enzo the cashier without so much as a goodbye. Even if Jamie acted like a little brat, Jared heard Enzo wishing him a good night and Jared in turned waved his goodbyes to the smiling boy before he smirked at his son and disappeared across the street to the old movie store.

As Jared walked into the empty movie store he couldn’t help but smile to himself. Even if had was still kinda bitter Jamie hadn’t told him about this new, what Jared was pretty sure was a little more than a crush, he was still happy Jamie had found someone that he actually seemed to return the other person's interest. That hadn’t always been the case but Jamie had explained it was because he was a football player, an extremely social person with a lot of charisma, what kind of seventeen years old wouldn’t want that? And Jared sort of agreed with that logic even if it sounded pretty pretentious an shallow as heck.

Jared most certainly had been the victim of Jamie’s explained phenomenon when he’d been in his sophomore year. He had pined for the popular senior who also happened to be the captain of the swimming team. What he wouldn’t do to get with him. Funny thing, he had. And that resulted in Jared leaving home at eighteen with a newborn baby.

Once Jared had decided on some typical love story about a couple from two worlds united by the power of love. It was a cliché but that was something both Jamie and Jared actually enjoyed watching, not because of the beautiful storyline but because of the repetitive stories told over a million times but always ended in the same way. It was some form of comfort in the cliché that spoke to the both of them.

Sometimes Jared would think it had to do with their own story. Their own ultimate ending. The one where the knight in shining comes riding through whatever plot twist threatening to destroy their love and expresses his love to his princess before he swipes her off her feet and kisses her and so they lived happily ever after. Even if Jared would never change the life he had with Jamie for anything else, there was some sort of hole in their lives. Their happily ever after, an ending Jared only confessed to himself when he was in the darkness of his own bedroom, it was the ending where Jensen had never left.

Jared roughly pushed away those thoughts and went to the counter to pay for the movie in time for Jamie to step inside the shop with two plastic bags in his hands and a small almost dreamy smile on his lips which Jared almost had to bite his own tongue not to comment on and make Jamie perhaps throw something from the bags at him.

“ You pick anything good?” Jamie asked as he walked up to Jared curious eyes seeking out the movie in Jared’s hands. Jared made a motion for them to walk back to the car as he held up the movie for Jamie to see. The picture on the front was a man and a woman sitting on a bench, the woman’s head gently resting on the man’s shoulder while they both stared at the slowly setting sun turning the sky into an endless sea of what looked like orange juice. 

“ This working for you my lord?” Jared asked as Jamie’s eyes raked over the picture before he turned to Jared with a dead serious look on his face and nodded a curt nod in acceptance.

“ It’ll do, thrall,” Jamie said in a heavy English accent before he turned around in one swift movement to walk out from the small store and head for their car. Jared followed him and as he reached the car, Jamie slammed the trunk shut almost making the car wince in pain. Jared felt sorry for the car and patted its side lovingly and in forgiveness for his son’s brutality before he jumped in and started it.

They drove back in silence, only the soft humming of the radio and the grunting from the motor. Jared tried to sneak glances at Jamie but his son’s eyes were staring out at the passing scenery outside the car, the softly lit streetlights and the dark buildings hidden in the shadows. It was a Sunday night and that was when the entire city went dead. If a zombie apocalypse were to hit Camden on a Sunday, no one would notice since the town basically already was a zombie town except for the zombies.

Once they turned onto their street Jamie made a noise as he stared out the window, Jared turned his eyes away from the road for a second to look at his son but before Jared could ask Jamie himself explained the source of his little squeak.

“ Weren’t Chad suppose to not show up until 7?” he asked and Jared nodded his head as he frowned, his eyes training on the dark figure sitting on their porch. As Jared drove up the driveway the headlights cast a stark light to illuminate the porch and the person sitting on it and to nobody’s surprise it was Chad sitting there, his arm raised to cover his eyes as he waved wildly with the other as if to show them he wasn’t a threat, or just to make Jared turn off the light and not cause Chad to go blind, which actually would’ve been what he deserved after years of bullying.

Jared turned off the car and pulled the key from its ignition before he jumped out, his eyes still watching Chad trying to blink away the blind spots from his eyes. Jamie had already gone around the car to pull the bags from the trunk as Jared walked up to both greet and scold his friend.

 

“ I thought we said 7?” Jared asked making Chad snort as he glared up at Jared like he had just personally offended him. 

“ Well hello to you to” he grumbled before pushing past Jared to go say hi to Jamie, his favorite - those had been Chad’s own words, not Jared’s. “ I wanted to spend some time with my bestie and that’s what I get?” he asked after giving Jamie a bro hug, a very manly thing Chad had said, Jared was too pissy to understand.

“ Am I the bestie you’re referring to or is Jamie the one?” Jared asked as he went to relieve Jamie of one of the bags before the three of them started to make their way up to the house. He could hear Chad and Jamie snigger behind him and he turned halfway around to give the two teenagers a glare before he opened the door and walked inside.

Chad and Jamie followed him inside but once Jamie had unpacked one of the bags he gave a salute and ordered Jared to yell for him once dinner was ready. Jared had only grunted out a response as he continued to fill an empty pot with water for the pasta.

As soon as Jamie’s bedroom door had slammed shut - rather harshly which made Jared send a glare to his son through the roof - Chad decided it was time for Jared to spill the spicy gossip he’d been dying to here. With a Cheshire grin, Chad made himself comfortable in his chair as he pulled his beer bottle closer, an expectant look in his blue eyes.

“ Okay I’ve been patient enough, now tell me about last night” Chad demanded as Jared started to prepare the bacon while keeping an eye on the pot with water. Jared rolled his eyes and gave a sigh. He really had no urge to tell anyone, especially not Chad about what had gone down between himself and Stephen. It wasn’t that he was somehow ashamed of what had happened between them, or perhaps he was, a little, he thought as he heard Jensen’s words fill his ear.

Jensen’s repelled look made Jared squirm in his skin and he felt dirty somehow. Of course, Jared knew Jensen was wrong, it was still hard not to think of himself as some kind of cheap slut with Jensen’s cruel voice still taunting him. Even if all it did was make him more furious at Jensen for ever making him think of himself in that kind of matter.

“ I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Chad” was Jared’s only answer as he moved his eyes from the bacon to glance back at a clearly unhappy Chad sitting at the table, glaring surly back at him which managed to pull a small smirk from Jared’s lips.

“ You don’t know what to tell me, is that it?” Chad asked, voice raised to sound intimidating but Jared could hear the disappointment and when he turned around a pout was forming on his face making the intimidation Chad was trying to express fall short since he looked like a petulant child.

Jared just shrugged his shoulders apologetic before he returned his attention to his bacon as Chad sat behind him, grumbling about money being thrown into a pond of sex and he still didn’t get paid back. Jared had the slightest idea on what he was referring to decided to let Chad get whatever bitterness out by glaring at the breadcrumbs left behind from the breakfast as Jared focused on getting dinner ready before Jamie came downstairs whining like a puppy for food.

Once Chad had gotten over his childish mumbling he eagerly started up a conversation about what amazing plans he had planned for the following weekend, plans Jared wasn’t allowed to tag along to, not that he wanted to either considering what had happened just three nights ago when he had been pulled into Chad’s world. 

When the sound of feet thundering down the stairs could be heard Jared glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and was surprised by how long it had taken for Jamie to come downstairs and start whining and just like he had predicted as soon as Jamie showed up in the doorframe the first question out of his mouth was how long it was until dinner would be ready. 

Jared didn’t have time to answer before Chad had pulled Jamie along in his one-sided conversation about some club he’d been to in Moscow. Jamie listened adamantly and Jared just shook his head and tuned out the conversation until Chad said something that caught his attention.

“ You would  _ not  _ believe the size of this bitch’s tits” he gave a catcalling whistle and he could hear Jamie laugh and that was it for Jared. He whirled around, ladle still in his hand as he locked eyes with the two  _ teenagers _ sitting at the table.

“ OKAY! I think that is plenty enough of Chad-stories for tonight! Why don’t instead help me set the table, alright?” Jared said, his voice light but his eyes dark as he stared Chad down who only stared back at Jared with an accused look in his mischievous eyes. When Jared was about to turn around to his pasta again he could see in the corner of his eye how Chad leaned over towards Jamie to whisper something in his ear but quickly got cut off by Jared. “ In silence, please!” he sing-songed, pulling a snort from Jamie and a laugh from Chad.

There was no way he would have Chad pollute Jamie’s brain more than what he’d already done. Even if Jamie may be seventeen, no one was old enough or prepared enough to deal with whatever crap you might find in Chad’s brain. It was as dangerous as Chernobyl in there, of that, Jared was sure.

It didn’t take long for both Jamie and Chad to rise from the table and start rummaging through the cabinets in search of plates and glasses. Jared sighed and turned around to focus his attention on his pasta surrounding himself with the sound of glasses clinking together and plates hitting the table top. 

Once dinner was ready Jared placed the pots on the table and before he’d even been able to let go of the handles, Jamie was already reaching for the lid trying to tear it off. Jared scolded him but it did nothing when Chad decided to follow suit. Whenever Chad decided to integrate himself into their home Jared could always feel whatever respect Jamie had for him, drop to nothing.

They managed to eat in a relatively easy matter and once the dinner was over Chad snagged a beer from the fridge, beer he himself had bought for Jared since Jared rarely had alcohol at home and whenever Chad was over he would scour the entire kitchen for any type of alcohol hence, he’d bought the beer for himself and placed it in Jared’s fridge.

“ I can’t even imagine how your liver must look like” Jared mused as the two of them walked over to the couch where Jamie was already spread out on one of them, phone in hand and fingers flying over the screen as he stared at whatever he was typing with a small dreamy smile.

“ My liver is like me-” Chad began poetic as he plopped down on the sofa, beer firmly in his hand and Jared eyed the bottle, making sure Chad wasn’t gonna spill anything else on the old cushions than what he’d already spilled over the years. There were some things embedded in the stuffing of the couch that made Jared wonder why in the hell they’d never thrown out the couch.

“ Deranged and too full of itself?” Jared asked with a grin which only served in Chad turning to him - mouth still hanging open from when Jared had cut him off - and gave him a poisonous glare. 

“ No you imbecile” Chad growled out and Jared couldn’t help but snort out a laugh at the pouting Chad holding his beer bottle in a salute. “ I’m a strong heroic man and I only live after one motto” he cleared his throat to leave Jared on the edge of his seat as if he was about to reveal the mystery of the entire universe.

“ A little party never killed nobody” Chad winked at Jared before he downed the rest of his beer while Jared stared at him with raised eyebrows and the beginning of a smile creeping up his chapped lips.

“ You’re kidding me, right? You’re really gonna roll with a Fergie song as your  _ moto _ ?” disbelief colored Jared’s words as he stared at his friend who only gave a shrug and a cocky grin. Jared threw his head back and laughed which pulled Jamie away from his phone and he turned to look at an offended-looking Chad and a laughing Jared.

“ What do you know anyway!?” Chad grumbled as he shoved himself up from the couch before he turned back to Jared and stared him down where Jared sat. “ You still live by that cliché ‘ _ Treat others as you would like to be treated _ ’, tell me, how’s that working out for yah” with that Chad turned around, empty beer bottle pumping in the air while he gave himself a winning _ whoop _ !

Jared frowned after his friend before he turned to Jamie who was still staring after Chad with a confused look on his face.

“ Do you think he’s even aware it’s in the bible?” Jamie asked and Jared snorted out a laugh as he shook his head while the sound of Chad once more rummaging through his fridge filled the house.

“ No, he doesn’t have enough brain cells to figure that out” Jared retorted, making Jamie lean his head back and let out a laugh that made Jared smirk in return as he nodded his head towards the doorframe where Chad had disappeared. “ And you say that’s your idol” Jared huffed and shook his head in disappointment as Jamie quickly whipped his head to give Jared a dangerous glare.

“ First of all”, he raised his hand to count his argument while Jared leaned back on the couch with an awaiting look in his eyes. “ I’ve never said Chad’s my idol” Jamie defended himself to which all Jared did was snort and shake his head which in turn made Jamie reach over with his leg to kick Jared in his stomach. “ And secondly, Chad is still a better idol than Kim Possible” Jared’s cocky look left his face as if something had just thrown a bucket of ice cold water over his head. 

Jamie saw the change in expression and started laughing that evil little laugh he’d done since he’d been able to stand by himself. When Cheryl had first heard the laugh she had whipped her head around to scowl at Jared but Jared had been quick to deny the accusations and instead blame Jensen for it.

Just when Jared was about to respond to his son’s cruel accusation - what was wrong with liking Kim Possible? She was a strong independent woman and if Jared had always wanted to be like her, what was wrong with that!? - Chad walked back with another beer in his hand and a smug grin on his face that convinced Jared the beer hadn’t been the only thing Chad had stolen from their fridge.

“ What are you laughing at?” he asked and before Jared could stop his son, Jamie had already explained his source of amusement and then there were two people laughing at him while Jared felt his cheeks blossom red in embarrassment.

The night continued in the matter of Chad continuing to tell embarrassing stories about Jared from their youths while all Jared wanted to do was strangle the hell out of the man that called himself Jared best friend. They had never even made it far enough to even grab the movie Jared had spent 10 dollars buying from the kitchen counter where Jared had left it when he’d unpacked the groceries. 

Even if Jared hated whenever Jamie and Chad started their little ‘let’s all mock the hell out of poor, innocent Jared’ campaign it had been good for both Jamie and Jared to have some company between them, they made have resolved anything that may have been murking between them earlier that morning but there had still been some tension cloying around them that Jared just wanted to rid them off and even if it sucked to admit that Chad could do anything right, that was something he actually  _ could _ do quite well.

And when the clock passes eleven Jared decided it was time to put the evening to an end, his defense being, they all needed whatever power they could gather to survive Monday morning. Jamie sighed but he didn’t deny the exhaustion evident on his face and with a small nod and a wave in goodnight he went upstairs with heavy thuds against the floorboards.

Once Jamie had closed his door Chad turned to look at Jared with raised eyebrows. Jared furrowed his brows but Chad only continued to stare at him with no further explanation.

“ You wanna say something or are you having a stroke?” Jared asked which made Chad break out of character and crack a loud laugh. He leaned over and patted Jared on his arms laying comfortably resting on the back of the couch.

Jared pulled his brows tighter in confusion and was about to answer what the heck had actually gotten into Chad when his friend straightened himself up and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at Jared like he was some shrink trying to analyze him.

“ So with the little kid ears out of the way, let’s talk about our very good friend Stephen” Jared tried to keep his face neutral but on the inside, he was almost groaning in pain at Chad’s persistent nature. And his great love for gossip, he was almost as bad as his mother’s book club friends.

“ I thought you had dropped this” he groaned out but Chad only huffed and rolled his eyes. “ and for the record, it’s not like you haven’t already figured it all by yourself anyway so why bother asking me” Jared continued on and as he settled down on the couch with a sour look on his face he could see Chad’s eyes grow wide as he listened to what Jared said.

“ So you  _ did  _ do it!?” he exclaimed loudly making Jared lash out and smack him on his bare arm while furiously pointing at the ceiling mouthing Jamie’s name. Chad nodded in understanding but the smirk didn’t leave his lips as he waggled his eyebrows at Jared, making the other man blush bright red.

“ Okay, yes. We did. Last night he came over…. thanks to you” Chad gave him a bright smile at Jared’s obvious hint but continued to sit quietly on the couch eager to let Jared explain. “ and we talked. For a while. And then….” he shrugged his shoulders, feeling awkward sitting in his living room talking about his sex life with Chad, even if they had been best friends for years and even if Chad almost on a daily basis shared his own sex life it wasn’t something Jared felt equally open to doing.

“ And, _ and _ ?” Chad asked, his curiosity and eagerness to be apart of Jared’s most personal life was almost that of a child, if it wasn’t about finding out how Jared had gotten boned the other night. Jared grimaced at his friend and shrugged his shoulders once more.

“ And nothing. We woke up this morning, had breakfast and then Jamie and Jen-” Jared clamped his lips shut as soon as he realized where his mouth was heading but it was too late and Chad’s mouth fell open as his eyes grow - if even possible - two sizes bigger. Jared turned his head away and cursed his own brain. 

“ Jensen? Jensen was here this morning?” Chad asked, his voice losing whatever enthusiasm that had been possessing him before and Jared could actually see the squinty blue eyes darken remarkably at the mention of Jared’s ex. Jared knew how Chad felt about Jensen and often enough he tried to avoid talking about anything that concerned Jensen, not to spare Chad of hearing about it but to spare himself from having to listen to Chad ranting about the pompous asshole he believed Jensen was.

“ Yes, he was dropping Jamie off and I don’t know why but then suddenly Jensen was standing in the kitchen doorway glaring at everyone and…” Jared pulled a hand through his hair before he closed his eyes and shook his hair into place once more. “ I-I-I don’t know…, it was all just a mess” Jared finished and he could feel the heavy lump clogging up his throat at the reminder of the morning.

Chad frowned and suddenly he was much closer than he’d been only seconds before, he reached his arm out and clasped his hand on Jared’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything to Jared but still, Jared could feel the comfort radiating from him as he held Jared against his chest.

“ I wanna beat that asshole into the ground” Chad grumbled, the words a heavy rumble in his chest. Jared started shaking his head as he pulled himself away from Chad’s grip. 

“ You know you can’t do that” Jared reprimanded him making the other man rolled his blue eyes while huffing in frustration almost making him sound like a predator. He then turned his dark eyes back to stare Jared down who only sat in silence, watching the other man act his frustration out.

“ Why the hell can’t I do that!? There is nothing stopping him from acting like a…. pompous bastard who’s too full of himself” Chad bit out as Jared leaned back against the mix-matched cushions, his eyes staring up at the roof with a heavy sigh leaving him. It wasn’t the first time Chad had started threatening Jensen and even if Jared sometimes felt that he wanted to give Chad a high five for sticking up for him and for being in the right, he still had to be a parent foremost. That meant he couldn’t go around talking smack about his son’s other father, no matter how much Jared felt he deserved what they were saying. 

And Chad was surprisingly onboard with that way. He never uttered a mean word about Jensen whenever Jamie was around to hear but he had warned Jared that if Jamie weren’t around to hear, he wasn’t gonna censor his opinions.

“ Because…” Jared closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “ Because for one, he’s Jamie’s dad and second in this case he actually doesn’t deserve you pounding him into the pavement” Jared admitted. Chad made a loud noise of protest at Jared confession but Jared ignored him and just shook his head again.

“ I don’t wanna talk about this anymore tonight” Jared dismissed the conversation just as Chad was about to let loose another tantrum about the evil ex. Jared rose from the couch and he could feel the heavy weight of Chad’s concerned eyes.

Chad didn’t seem to get Jared rising from the couch was a hint to call an end to the night because it didn’t seem like Chad had any plans on getting up. He just stretched his long body out and closed his eyes with a yawn as Jared stood and stared down at him with an expecting look in his eyes.

Silence fell over the living room as Jared continued to look down at his friend who was busy trying to ignore Jared’s very presence. After an entire minute Chad slowly opened one eye and when he met Jared’s hazel-colored orbs he sighed and closed his eyes and his lips turned down in an unpleasant grimace.

“ You’re still here” he stated and it sounded more like a hint for Jared to just vanish and leave Chad the hell alone. Jared only shrugged his shoulders before he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“ Well it is my house” Jared answered and Chad opened both of his eyes again to glare at Jared and sighed loudly. Jared only frowned at the response but as he was about to answer Chad opened his mouth and raised his voice to drown out Jared’s voice before he’d even begun to talk.

“ Yeah well, I’m gonna occupy this couch for the night, I mean someone have to watch over you, especially after today so why don’t you just shut that pretty little mouth and march upstairs and I’ll see you in the morning” Chad then nodded his head and turned on his side and gave Jared literally the cold shoulder.

“ Watch over me? Do you think some monster is gonna come upstairs and eat me alive or what?” Jared asked chuckling as he hands spread out, gesturing over the living room. Chad huffed and just nuzzled his head deeper into the pillow before answering.

“ Well, it seems that the monster named Jensen Ackles have already been here so who’s to say he won’t show up again for more” Chad grumbled into his pillow making Jared roll his eyes. He was very grateful for Chad defending him as fiercely as he did but then again, Jared was a grown ass man who could fight his own battles. And whatever was happening now wasn’t actually Chad protecting him, that bugger was just too lazy to go home.

For a moment Jared just stood beside the couch with hanging mouth, the nerve in that little bugger was incredible, but then again, Jared had never been one to say no to Chad whenever he’d asked to spend the night, most of the times because he was too lazy to walk home. Even with Jared’s lenient habits he certainly didn’t like when Chad took the liberty of occupying Jared’s home on his  _ own  _ terms and not on the owners anymore.

Jared shook his head again with a sigh before he bent down and tugged on a spike of blonde hair as a small revenge which caused Chad to give a squeak of pain, much to Jared’s satisfaction.

“ I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,  _ Daisy _ ” and with that Jared walked upstairs to his own bedroom with Chad grunting out a good night behind him before he once more snuggled down among the many pillows with a sigh and before Jared had even made it up the last step Chad was dead to the world.

As Jared entered his bedroom he let out a deep sigh he’d been holding most of the day and for the first time that day he let his body relax and could feel the tension slowly drain from his shoulders. He leaned back against the door and closed his eyes. Jared knew he shouldn’t mull over what had occurred in the morning but the Jensen’s words still haunted him, even in the dark safety of his own bedroom.

It was scary how affected he still could get whenever Jensen and he had any kind of arguments between them. They had been broken up for the better parts of seventeen years and yet his heart would break a little more whenever Jensen gave Jared the - by now - well-known look of hostility he always had whenever he would meet Jared’s eyes.  

It was obvious that Jensen hated him. Jared couldn’t say when Jensen had started to despise him but he had a feeling it had been a slow process, something that had evolved over the years since Jensen had told Jared he wasn’t ready to be a father yet and had needed some time alone without neither Jared nor their unborn baby hanging over him like a dark cloud on what had once been a sky blue future. 

Jared sighed once more and dragged a hand over his face before he pushed away from the heavy feeling in his body Jensen always left behind whenever they had a fight but if it perhaps was something akin to longing or missing Jared pointedly ignored it.

He got undressed and went about his business in the bathroom before he fell back against the rumpled bedsheets still smelling distinctive of sex from the previous night which made Jared flush bright red. Still, he made no move to change the sheets and instead only pulled the comforter up and placed his head on what had been Stephen’s pillow for the night. He pushed his nose against the fabric and inhaled the still soft smell of Stephen. That earthy smell Jared was surprised clung to him since he spent most of his days among grease yet Jared had never oily smell of grease on him. Not that he would sniff at Stephen on a regular basis.

With those thoughts Jared let out a small muffled laugh to himself before he curled up under the duvet and fell asleep, lulled by the smell and thoughts of the bearded man with a soft smile. Nothing like Jensen’s, yet just as nice.


End file.
